MARCH 13, 2020: IT WAS A FRIDAY. FRIDAY THE 13TH OF ALL THINGS. SCHOOL WAS CLOSED FOR “2 WEEKS.” NO ONE WAS GOING ANYWHERE. YOU COULDN’T FIND TOILET PAPER. AND THERE WAS JUST THIS ODD, NEW FEELING OF “WHAT DO WE DO NOW?”
THE ONE CONTSANT FOR ME WAS EXERCISE. REGARDLESS OF THE UNKNOWN IN OUR WORLD, I KNEW I COULD PUT ON MY WORKOUT CLOTHES, BLAST SOME MUSIC AND SWEAT. IT GAVE ME PURPOSE AND STRUCTURE, IT DISTRACTED ME AND IT MADE ME FEEL CLOSER TO NORMAL. I THINK IT DID THAT FOR A LOT OF US.
FOR FUN, I POSTED AN ALMOST-GAG WORKOUT USING A PRECIOUS ROLL OF TOILET PAPER ON FACEBOOK. IT GOT A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK WHICH LED TO TEXTS AND EMAILS ABOUT DOING VIRTUAL WORKOUTS. BEFORE MARCH 13, 2020, I WAS THE LEAST TECH SAVY PERSON I KNEW. BUT…THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR AND A LOT OF HELP, I FIGURED OUT A WAY TO CONNECT WITH MY FRIENDS & CLIENTS TO START WHAT WOULD LATER BECOME HOMEBODIES FITNESS LLC. I’VE LOOKED BACK AT SOME OF THOSE EARLY VIDEOS…WE’VE COME A LONG WAY! LOL!!!
GROUP FITNESS IS MY FIRST LOVE. I LOVE CREATING THE WORKOUTS. I LOVE THE ENERGY I CAN READ ON MEMBERS’ FACES. I LOVE THE FEEDBACK AT THE END (GOOD AND BAD…LOL). I WASN’T SURE HOW ALL THAT WOULD TRANSLATE INTO THE VIRTUAL WORLD BUT HERE WE ARE, 1 YEAR LATER, AND I FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO MY MEMBERS NOW THAN I EVER HAVE.
WE HAVE BUILT A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE COMMUNITY AT HOMEBODIES FITNESS LLC. WE CHAT BEFORE CLASS AND KEEP UP ON EACH OTHER’S LIVES. WE CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS. WE PUSH OURSELVES WITH FUN CHALLENGES. WE MOTIVATE EACH OTHER. WE ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER. WE SHOW UP FOR EACH OTHER. MOST MEMBERS HAVE RARELY MISSED A CLASS SINCE WE STARTED. SOME HAVE TRIED CLASSES THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE TAKEN BEFORE.
SO AS I LOOK BACK ON THIS LAST YEAR, WHILE THERE WAS A LOT THAT WE MISSED, THERE WAS ALSO A LOT THAT WE GAINED. WE HAVE GAINED NEW FRIENDSHIPS AND INSPIRATIONS. WE HAVE GAINED STRENGTH AND CONFIDENCE. WE HAVE GAINED A COMMUNITY. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE LESSONS OF THIS YEAR.