The Five Stages of a Workout

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I’m going to be honest here and say I had no idea what motherhood would do to my body. I look at the jiggle of my tummy and my enormous hips and think, what happened to me? I make sure to be kind to myself because I did BIRTH two children and they are pretty amazing. But, it’s hard, in a society where so much is focused on our looks, to not look in the mirror and wonder what I used to look like. So, I have tried out different things to get my pre-mom body back such as going paleo, fasting, doing zumba, running, and even yoga. Each of these temporary fads for me have been just that: fads.

Recently, I attended a Portland Moms Blog Night Out at a local Beaverton gym and I have fallen in love. Burn Bootcamp Beaverton simply requires me to show up. If I show up, the trainer (who is amazing) will make sure I am accountable. And so, after weeks of attending this gym and becoming truly addicted, I want to tell you about how the five stages of grief are similar to the five stages of my daily workout with Kay Battle at Burn Bootcamp Beaverton.

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Post Bootcamp Photo
  1. Denial: Each camp starts with a workout. I start off with my boxer stance moving around and I am thinking: What am I doing here? I don’t belong. I look around and think, ‘I am not these people,’ and I seriously consider leaving.
  2. Anger: Kay comes over to me and says I should be using the 15 lb weight not the 10 lb. I hate her and I’m angry but I know she is right. Anger charges me a bit so I work a bit harder.
  3. Depression: We are probably half way into the workout and I see the other members go through the drills faster and with better accuracy. I sink into my own self-pity party about how I can’t do ten burpees or mountain climbers the way they do.
  4. Bargaining: I bargain. I say to myself they told me to do 100 but I can’t, so if I can just do 90 then that’s OK. Some days it is OK and other days it is not but it’s a bargain. Just the other day, we did a five-minute plank finisher. This means holding a plank position for five minutes. I was going strong until I legitimately felt dizzy and began to make deals with myself like fifteen more seconds or, I’ll take a quick break, count to five and get right back into plank. Kay doesn’t negotiate but she DOES sympathize and offers modifications for all her exercises. These can be instrumental to a successful workout.
  5. Acceptance: The end is near or it’s over and my body feels rejuvenated, excited and ready to take on the world. I wonder why the last forty minutes felt so hard and so good at the same time. I commit to coming again despite the fact that my vagina is sweating.

So, if you are on the fence, or looking for a place to consider, I highly recommend Burn Bootcamp Beaverton. In addition to their camp times (which are essentially classes where the instructor directs you to do various exercises), you can have regular focus meetings to articulate your goals and work towards them. Oh, ready for the best part? Your membership comes with free childcare. Yes moms, your kids are still nearby while you work out.

With the New Year approaching and the desire to set some resolutions, I can’t emphasize enough what a transformation it has been for me joining this place. The hour away from my usual responsibilities coupled with the camaraderie of other gym members has me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated every time I go (even after 20 burpees).  I am not a gym person but I love this gym.

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