You’ve probably heard of P90X created by Tony Horton and Beachbody.
I first heard of Beachbody when I was pregnant with my daughter, Roxie. I didn’t sleep much in the last trimester. It was 2008, the year Michael Phelps won 8 Gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing. I watched every race in real-time. Late-night infomercials sold me on P90X as the way I would get my body back after having the baby. I bought the DVD program while I was still pregnant.
I ended up having a C-Section to bring Roxie into the world. It wasn’t my plan, but that’s what was necessary for everyone to come out of it healthy. That meant a full 6 weeks before I could start any form of exercise. Funny enough, I was back teaching dance after 4 weeks because no one showed up to replace me. At the 6 week mark, with medical clearance, I started back on my fitness journey. P90X worked! In 90 days, I was back in shape. Not necessarily a pre-baby body, but at a place where I felt good and others noticed. Not saying it was easy. At first, I struggled through 10 minutes at a time. I made progress one push-up at a time.
Two years later, Beachbody went from just a workout to a lifesaver.
In the Spring of 2010, I caught a flu virus. I was sick for about a week, which was normal. Two weeks later, I had no appetite and only ate toast and drank orange juice. I never actually felt fully recovered and soon, I began to decline. I started seeing blood in my stools and experiencing abdominal pain. I ignored all this as long as I could until I couldn’t. When I finally surrendered, the diagnosis was Crohn’s disease. You can read all about my journey with Crohn’s disease in my book The Gift of Wreckage. It was a tough struggle of hospitals, medications, and confusion.
And then I got tired of feeling sick and tired.
I pulled out my old P90X DVDs and tried working out. Somehow, it made me feel better. I’m not saying the disease or pain went away. I just started feeling a bit better physically and a lot better mentally. Even if the rest of the day was spent in bed, if I did a workout, I felt good about myself.
Eventually, I got turned on to Beachbody Coaching and jumped in. As I used the workouts and tweaked my nutrition, I started getting stronger. Overall, I found that liquid nutrition made things easier on my body. Beachbody offers Shakeology, which is an awesome, tasty, and nutrient-rich shake option.
What I enjoyed the most about throwing myself into my fitness and being a Coach with Beachbody was that it took me out of myself. It’s very easy to fall prey to the gloomy predictions of doctors who told me I would “feel terrible for the rest of my life.” I was not willing to accept that fate. I dragged myself out of that dark place of thinking a chronic disease has to mean a lifelong death sentence. Helping others was a great way to get there.
I love working out. The years that followed my diagnosis of Crohn’s disease became the years I found myself in the best shape of my life. Ironic I know. That’s the gift in the wreckage of my diagnosis: I started taking very good care of myself. I tried every workout I could get my hands on, as this was before Beachbody started offering Beachbody on Demand, which gives you access to ALL programs. (Yes!!) I fell in love with TurboFire, Brazil Butt Lift, and Insanity. I started Challenge Groups to help other people get fit. It was SO much fun!
Somewhere along the way, I got it in my head that I could produce fitness videos to rival Chalene’s offerings through Beachbody. I started my own fitness business in 2014 and called it the UltraFitLifestyle (being revived right here and now in a new format!). I continued helping people with their fitness, and I learned pretty quickly that I could NOT produce videos to rival Chalene. Haha! To be 100% transparent, I found that trading time for money as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor was exhausting and not very lucrative for me. I stepped back into real estate sales and eventually shifted to my current position with US Mortgage Corporation.
The honest truth is that in my soul, I love fitness and helping people take control of their lives using fitness, nutrition, and mindset. I can’t escape that passion and that’s why I am here talking to you right now. I have created my own workout programs. I have worked with personal trainers. And, I still stand by Beachbody as the absolute best in the industry offering at-home workouts programs. I have seen the best results in my own fitness journey using Beachbody programs. And again, now that they offer Beachbody on Demand, you get access to every single program they offer, so you can try them all.
Moving every day is essential for good physical health. You know that. In my opinion, fitness is crucial to mental health and well-being. Sometimes it’s tough to get started. Sometimes it’s daunting to join a gym and show up not knowing what to do. It’s intimidating to me sometimes even after all these years! There’s a great option you can start right now, in the comfort and privacy of your own living room, with no equipment needed. You can even get a 14-Day free trial if you sign up with the 3-month option. Click HERE and get started. You won’t regret it. You’re worth it!
