Defining Success

I don’t like to weigh or measure my body. Fitness success is feeling good in my skin.

Adapting

As we all lost a sense of routine during the COVID-19 quarantine, exercise provided a much-needed sense of rhythm, normalcy and productivity. I broke my workouts into shorter sessions and spread them throughout the day as anchors for structure. And to get me up off the couch.

Advice for Beginners

A warm and fuzzy exercise mood is not likely to fuel your fitness momentum, so take emotion out of exercise. We can all talk ourselves out of anything we don’t want or like to do. Find a workout time that realistically fits in your schedule and don’t let rumination stand in your way. Nike was on to something with ‘Just Do It.’

Realization

The physical result of a commitment to exercise is wonderful, but the real reward is in the peace of the process. When you have a lapse in your workout routine or a period of crazy eating as we all do, it can make you feel lousy. This kind of inevitable transgression is quickly replaced with the satisfaction of finding your groove again. It really is about the journey.

— SUSAN GRUBER, 53