My Fitness Background
Similar to many teenage girls, my fitness journey began with Youtube workouts in my childhood bedroom during the pandemic. I had always been an active kid, and grew up swimming and playing volleyball, however, I was loath to workout outside of a sports setting. With the shutdown of social interaction and team athletics amid the outbreak of Covid-19, I was pushed to find a new way of moving my body not only to preserve my physical health, but my mental health as well.
It took me a while to find my groove and the plan that worked for me. I tried everything under the sun: pilates with Blogilates, HIIT with Lilly Sabri, 5-min ab circuits with Chloe Ting (no, they will not give you abs in two weeks), dance workouts with MadFit, and any other fitness instructor recommended to me by the Youtube algorithm. While I don’t think many of the narratives being pushed by these influencers were particularly healthy or helpful for a growing and impressionable teenage girl, they did awaken an overall love for fitness within me. I grew to love the feeling of pushing myself, challenging my body and finding out what I could do if I put my mind to it. When school opened back up again, I found myself moving away from the Youtube workouts, and moving towards weight training and gym sessions. After four years at St. Andrews, I think I’ve spent the most time outside of my own home at the Sports Center gym, listening to my favorite NFL podcast as I go through my weekly routine.
The Importance of Women’s Health and Strength Training
Over the course of my fitness journey, I have learned a lot about my own body and women’s bodies in general. In a society that constantly pushes the narrative that women need to be smaller, it is critical to understand the importance of being strong. Studies have found that “resistance training has a favorable impact on women’s…metabolic health, body composition, bone health, cardiovascular health, mental health, self-esteem, and body image.” Additionally, training allows for muscle building that is vital to retaining mobility and strength as women age, especially post-menopause. As I age, I have come to value long-term health benefits over short-term aesthetic gains. Unfortunately, other messaging tends to drown out the science-backed facts of women’s health and fitness. Therefore, I was overjoyed to hear SALT would be offering a Women’s Health Program focused on teaching women the fundamentals of strength training and fitness as a whole.
My Hopes for the SALT Program
Through this program, I hope to expand my fitness knowledge, increase my own strength-training abilities, and diversify my workout routine. As someone who has been completely self-taught and mainly learned everything in the gym through trial and error, I believe I could benefit from some professional guidance regarding form, volume and routine structure. In addition, I relish the opportunity to expand beyond my regular training schedule and incorporate multiple kinds of exercise. According to their website, SALT offers CrossFit, Hyrox, reformer pilates, mat pilates, spin, barre, and yoga classes — some of which I hope will be included in the 4-week women’s health program. Perhaps I’ll even find a new favorite form of exercise!
Overall, I am excited to begin this new step in my fitness journey, and can’t wait to report on my experience. Stay tuned!