Written by: Jordan Martin and Amy Tubb, Co-hosts of “Marketing Chicks in a PT World”
The New Year, the proverbial reset, got us Marketing Chicks wanting to move more and get active! So we set out not only to work on our fitness, but find ways we actually enjoyed working out. And, of course, we documented our journey to share with you all! No challenge would be complete without an apt name, so we hereby share a deep dive on our Chicks on the Move Challenge!
First up, RockBox Fitness! Amy and I were both on board to try a workout with some PUNCH! Although we thought we were going to simply jab and hook out any pent up frustrations on the bag, we were surprised to find out that the class combined boxing, kickboxing AND functional training! I, Jordan, also take the blame for booking a trial class on Speed and Double Down Day- Sorry again, Amy! Yes, it’s as intense as it sounds but oh-so-much-fun.
Next up, we decided to give yoga a shot! Not just any yoga, but HOT yoga led by our very own Sherry Stephenson, PTA! This is where our ratings get more mixed, but we both agreed that Sherry provided several modifications to help meet everyone’s fitness level. If you want a full body workout that makes you break a sweat- this is for you! You’ll also be excited to know that after all the hard work follows a period of time where relaxation and peace is the ultimate goal!
For our third class, Amy signed us up for a Pure Barre Huntsville class! Thankfully, this class was an introductory class and provided an overview of what a typical class would look like as well as introduce us to their barre technique. Fifty minutes later, Amy and I had a whole new understanding of low impact, high intensity movements and the deep burn that accompanies (in muscle groups we didn’t even know we had!) Prepare to be sore, but know that you accomplished a solid yet fun workout!
To close out our Chicks on the Move Challenge, Dr. Janine Nesin, PT, DPT got involved and introduced us to one of her favorite activities – Pickleball! I will start by saying if you haven’t tried it, you should give it a try. Although the name might sound odd, this was no doubt one of the most fun ways we got moving. The perks of pickleball are many but the element of playing outside as well as the social aspect had us chicks placing orders for pickleball paddles the same day! If that doesn’t sell you, maybe the fact that it is the fastest-growing sport in America will intrigue you to pick up a paddle and play!
Although we did several classes and workouts together, we also set out individually to find ways we enjoyed working out! Read about our solo journeys below:
Jordan:
As I’ve shared on our podcast before, I’ve dabbled in several areas of fitness thanks to a roommate or friend who would drag me along to whatever they were currently involved in fitness wise! A dance class at the YMCA, machine weights at an apartment gym, you name it I’ve tagged along to it. Instead of waiting on the invite, I decided to start training with a personal trainer at a fitness studio at the start of the new year.
One of my favorite things working with my trainer is that she removed all of the guesswork. There was no pulling up a questionable Pinterest workout or walking aimlessly through the gym trying to find a machine that looked harmless enough. Instead, I was able to put my energy towards accomplishing the program she set in place and drawing on her expertise to help me safely reach my goals. If you’re like me, this makes all the difference as well as the accountability and motivation having a personal trainer offers as well . Three months in and I’ve truly enjoyed being pushed and noticing improvement with each session!
Throughout this challenge, I also made it a goal to simply up my walking! On the weekends, this often meant dragging my husband to one of the many parks or trails across the Shoals. When the weather wasn’t cooperating, I opted for the treadmill and bumped up the incline! I feel like walking is often underrated, but I encourage everyone not to underestimate the value of walking both for your physical and mental wellbeing!
Amy:
For my solo endeavors, I started out trying a weight training program at home. I rotated between hand weights and a kettlebell for my weight workouts. It was challenging at times but I found myself enjoying the “sore” feeling I’d have the next day. Of course at the beginning, I had the tendency to overdo it with the amount of weight or number of reps, and learned quickly that not being able to raise one’s arms the next day was not the way I wanted to feel! I also sought out ways to work out various areas of the body, while standing, as I’m not one who enjoys a lot of up & then down on the floor with my exercise routines. Trust me when I tell you that you can find ways to work the abdominal muscles without having to do crunches on the floor!
One of the other ways to “move” that I tried was by using my son’s VR system, the Oculus! This is no normal sitting-on-your-booty-on-the-couch-while-being-glued-to-the-TV-screen kind of game play! The Virtual Reality gaming system requires you to be up and moving while you play and after a small adjustment period, I was off and running and slicing through moving objects while trying to not hit anyone in my house or run into the wall! The game definitely got the heart rate up and I was most definitely feeling the movement in my arms the next day.
My last solo endeavor was a return to walking. While not new for me, it had definitely been a cold and weird winter here in North Alabama and I was not able to go for my long walks on the Greenway as often as I normally would like in the cooler/colder months! With the return of my spring-like temps, I’ve been out walking as often as I can and enjoy nature, albeit not the return of my allergies!
Tune into “Marketing Chicks in PT World” to hear our Chicks on the Move recap! Listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio and make sure to subscribe!