My Fitness Life | Working Out Toward a Flourishing Life

There are so many ways to enjoy fitness and working out that are good for me inside and out.

When I was trying to decide what to title this series, I was thinking about how I wanted the focus to be on fitness and how it’s a lifetime endeavor. It does change often in different seasons and decades of life, but it remains a priority.

Dedicating daily time to my fitness will help me work out toward a flourishing life. A life of better health and energy. And don’t we all want that?

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I’ve really enjoyed sharing blog posts around a theme in a series. I usually have so much I want to share with you, it can’t fit all into one post. This way we can keep connecting on the topic for longer.

Here’s links to some posts from my Summer of Sunshine Series last year.

• How to Give Your Summer Porch Curb Appeal
• Patriotic Decor For Memorial Day to Labor Day
• Decorating Outdoor Summer Spaces to Enjoy All Season

And posts from my Thrive Series:

• We Were Made to Thrive
• Staying Hydrated With These Easy Tips
• Tips For Marvelous Mornings

I have several more series coming up:

• Bringing It Back | Old Fashioned Habits Worth Doing Again
• Parenting | Best Things We’ve Done So Far
• The Better Homes & Gardens One Room Challenge | My Potting Shed

 SUBSCRIBE HERE so you don’t miss any of the posts!

One of the things I love to do is look back at photos and think back on memories of times when I felt like I was truly flourishing. Every single one of those times, I was consistently working out.

Take some time to find a photo of yourself when you felt like you were in amazing shape. Maybe it’s right now. Maybe a long time ago or just a few years ago pre COVID. Use this photo to help motivate you and remind you of what you felt like at that time. What physical activities were you doing then?

In different ages and phases of my life I’ve done different activities and enjoyed working out either on my own, with a trainer or in group classes Often a mix of all.

Maybe write your own journey down in a journal. A time line of where you’ve been to where you are now. It can help make sense of where you want to go.

At the end of the week and this series, I’m going to give you the opportunity to join a new group I’m starting where there will be connection + encouragement + inspiration for your fitness journey. So stay with me! It will be fun!

Here’s my story.

Fitness as a Teen

I wasn’t involved in sports in high school like my husband was and my children are. I was editor of the high school newspaper and president of the French Club. But fitness was still important to me.

Growing up I was a very active kid, outside all the time. I also rode horses every day. My grandparents were equestrians and the bug caught my sister and I at an early age. We both got ponies in early elementary school and kept moving up as we participated in Pony Club and horse shows. We competed in Three Day Eventing.

Me and my pony, Mercles, when we got back from riding in the 4th of July Parade.

In mid high school, I quite riding every day and only road for fun once in a while. I would still take lessons off and on in the years to come, but it wasn’t part of my daily life anymore. My oldest daughter rode for many years and I started up again with her.

But as my riding slowed down and puberty hit me full force, my body began changing and some pounds came on.

I feel in love with fitness and it’s benefits my Senior year of high school. I got into great shape and it built my confidence.

My high school required all non athletes to take gym class. I didn’t want to give up an academic class for gym, so I went to the school board and got permission to let step aerobics classes at our local YMCA count for my gym. The Y would sign my card each time I went, which was three days a week.

Step Aerobics was so much fun! I feel in love with it, the music and the movement.

I also started running. The driveway of our ranch was a quarter mile long so I would go up and down it several times. This led to running 5Ks.

My siblings were all cross country and track members so they loved joining in too. So did my parents. It was so much fun to attend 5ks together as a family many weekends. For my wedding weekend we even held a Wedding Bell Dash 5K complete with t-shirts.

Fitness in My 20s

For most of my 20s and into my 30s my favorite fitness activity was running. I never did long mile runs, but 3 miles a few times a week.

Right after college I began teaching at a local elementary school and made fast, life long friends with a few other young teachers. We would run together a few days a week after school.

Later in my 20s I was raising five kiddos and I found I needed activities I could easily fit in anytime I had free. It was too hard to schedule attendance at a fitness class. So running stayed my activity of choice.

When weather was bad, I would jump on a treadmill at the YMCA. And with the childcare provided, I could always take my littles along too.

The kids loved to go on bike rides and runs too, through our neighborhoods or down to the park. Our community had a fun Summer festival with a kids run and a 5k we all enjoyed for years.

Take Aways From Fitness in My 20s

• Find what works and can fit in your schedule
• Find what you can do together as a family
• Support community philanthropy by walking or running in 5Ks

Fitness in My 30s

My late thirties is when I fell in love with spin class. Do you take spin?

We had just moved to Minocqua and I was invited to go to Studio 715 for a class. It only took one, I was hooked! I loved the music, the energy and the friendships made.

I became great friends with the owner of the Studio. Sadly, she passed away a few years ago and the Studio is now closed down.

But what I learned there I’ve transferred on to my bike at home where I put in my headphones, crank the music and spin still.

Around this same time I started taking Pilates twice a week and really enjoyed that too. When I look back on recent years, this time when I was doing pilates and spin, I was in great shape.

Take Aways From Fitness in My 30s

• Try something new, it may become your favorite activity!
• Fitness classes are a great way to make friends. The girls I met at Spin developed into a book club and other gatherings.
• I want to get back to pilates.
• I want to be more consistent spinning at home or with a friend at the gym.

Fitness in my 40s

In my 40s I do a bit of everything.

I still love to spin and run. A lot of the time I do interval circuit training, often with my husband. We have always loved working out together since we started dating.

Our kids work out with us a lot too. It’s such a great way to spend time as a family and share the importance of fitness as a lifelong journey with them.

I love going for a run with my kids. Even if I can’t keep up with them anymore!

Would you like to see videos of exercises I enjoy?

I spend a good deal of time stretching these days. I want to stay flexible, well strike that, I’m not flexible. I want to stay as flexible as possible. LOL! I enjoy going to our local yoga studio too.

Another day in the series I’ll be sharing our home work out spaces and easy ways to have the equipment you need on hand. I’ll also share how to make it special, like your own fitness/spa retreat.

Weights have definitely become a priority as I read and learn more all the time about the benefits of strength training as we age. I want to stay strong.

Take Away From Fitness in my 40s

• How much fun it is to work out with your kids and how it helps them love it too
• It’s easy to create a space at home to workout

Besides these fitness activities I do many things that just get me active. Some of it I do to spend time with friends:

• Tennis once a week in the Summer
• Zumba
• Line Dancing
• Pickleball

Check what your community offers and ask some friends to go along. I feel so blessed to live somewhere where people are so active and my friends love to try new classes or sports.

We love to do all kinds of active things even in the Winter like cross country ski and snow shoe. Do you have activities you love to do with your friends?

Tomorrow, for Day Two I’ll be sharing dreamy workout space ideas for any size home. And then on Day Three, I’ll share our home gym. Day four we will talk about habit forming, big dreams and big questions like how to fit in time to work out. Day Five I’ll share my new Subscription Box + Group opportunity with you.

Thanks so much for reading and sharing the journey. I’d love to hear your story and what you love to do, or wish you did! Excited to keep working toward goals myself and help encourage you too!

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