Almost two weeks without the gym, and I am definitely struggling.
The gym is my safe space and one of the only places where I can escape the pressures of being a single working mom with three jobs. It is where I feel strong, physically and emotionally. It is the place where I found the courage and mental strength to leave a toxic and damaging environment and to go through a long tumultuous battle that left me starting over with $2.13, after working my entire life in a professional career & living responsibly. It is where I rebuilt myself from the ground up and found a community that didn’t expect me to be a Pinterested-jean-jacket-attired-PTO mom with no other sense of self. Not that there’s anything wrong with that— thank god for those moms— it’s just not where I fit in.
The gym is where I began to set challenging goals, and to make them even bigger each time I crushed them. It is where I learned to fight, in and outside of the ring. It is where I decided to start a second career, did the work, earned my credentials, and established my own business that I continue to expand every day. It is where I am humbled by the strength and knowledge of others, and where I am always excited to learn new things and to grow physically and professionally.
It is where I learned that it is okay to be a woman and to make your own body your priority and to be proud of that body no matter how many people try to shame you for it. It is where I learned that you can have advanced degrees and be a professional and a mother and a role model and still be beautiful and sexy and proud of it. It is where selfies are not a sign of narcissism but proof of long hours of sweaty, painful, exhausting and gratifying hard fucking work. I have seen a lot of negativity aimed at females on social media who are promoting home workouts and fitness (and not just during this quarantine). And I have come to realize that negativity has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with people sitting at home, projecting their insecurities onto me. I am not charging for these workouts, no matter how desperately I could use the money. After all, quarantine has cut off my personal training business and my job teaching strength training classes at a local gym. I don’t do it for likes; I am 43 years old and I post for myself and for women like me, who have experienced what I have and who are struggling to recover and feel confident and proud in their appearance, period. If other people like it, great. If you don’t, you should ask yourself why you follow people who make you roll your eyes. No better time than now to self-reflect ☺️.
Not being at the gym is hard. Really, really hard. For those of us who struggle with anxiety, depression, and C-PTSD it feels like a void that is crushing, right in the center of your chest. And when you are a single parent quarantined with no escape for even a few minutes to yourself, it is extra hard. And that is why I will continue to work out at home as intensely as possible, and to share those workouts with people who need that outlet.
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there, and I hope that you will continue to care for your mind and your body as much as you do your children’s. If there is any content that I could create that would help you out, please let me know in the comments.
In the meantime— do this workout below & let me know what you think 💪🏼. If you don’t have a med ball you can sub another type of ball 🏀 or use a dumbbell or just body weight depending on the exercise. Just ask me if you need tips!
On that note... I’m going to work out 😎
Get Strong. Stay Healthy.
XOXO Sari 🦁
