At 40 years of age, I wasn’t really happy with myself. Yes, I was skinny, but not healthy at all. I knew that I wanted to change something about myself but I had no idea where to start. One day, a friend of my husbands asked me to come hang out at the barn and ride her sweet girl, Dixie. It had been a very long time since I had ridden a horse, so I was a bit nervous.
In awe, I stared at this beautiful, spirited mare. My friend reinstated some ground rules of her baby girl and reminded me to be confident, sit back and just relax. I was in heaven. The smell of the horses and the outdoors was exactly what I needed. After that brief ride, my legs, back and core was so sore. The muscles that I used to ride a horse was unbelievable.
During the next year, I leased a horse and rode every day that I could. I began to get stronger, leaner and didn’t huff and puff up a flight of stairs anymore. It wasn’t too long before I bought my own horse and began training with a wonderful horse trainer that focused on riding smarter, safer and truly connecting with your horse.
Riding did take a toll on my hips but that didn’t stop me from riding. I reached out to my healthcare providers and my chiropractor. They educated me on how exercise would improve those muscles around my hips.
Nervous about how to even begin exercising, I researched personal trainers. I found one just steps away from my job. I gave myself a goal of 90 days. I met my trainer and that began the journey of upping my game and focusing on, not just my legs, but the whole body. For a year, I had a blast working with this wonderful man. I learned so much about myself. I was so grateful for his patience and knowledge.
As you know, life does happens. I took a break from weight training but it wasn’t for very long. That’s when I found her! A beautiful woman that was a nurse, passionate about fitness and led by example. I made an appointment. When we met, her enthusiasm was infectious. By the end of our appointment, we devised a plan to accomplish my goals and that is when it truly all began, my fitness journey.
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