My name is Joy. I am a stay-at-home mother to four beautiful children and wife to an amazing husband. Eight years ago I became pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl, and delivered them via c-section at 37 weeks gestation with no problems. Within 10 months I found myself pregnant again and quickly after my second delivery I was pregnant again for the third time, so that, in three years and three months, I had delivered all four of my children.
Pregnancy can wreak havoc on a body and after my last was born, I was determined to lose the weight and feel normal again. I felt completely unrecognizable to myself so 5 days post-partum, I began to workout in my home. I started with pilates videos that I could get at Target along with walking on my treadmill and gradually worked my way up to running alongside Cathe’s Low Impact Circuit and Bodymax 2 workouts. (These workouts were given to me by my mom who is also a hardcore Cathe follower.) The combination of cardio and weights began to shape my body and I began to see real results.
During those early years, I exercised six days a week in front of all four of my kids, pausing my videos or jumping of the treadmill to re-binky the baby or grab the kids a snack. After 4 years of consistent exercise I no longer choose to run on a treadmill but have moved to using Cathe’s workouts exclusively and love the impact it has had on my life. Impacts that reached places I didn’t think they could.
I started working out because I wanted my body back. I wanted it back the way it was and I have seen dramatic changes in my body composition, my capacity to lift weights, do pushups and overall cardio endurance. However, it has been the emotional, spiritual and ultimately relational changes in me that have been the most significant. I can’t have my body back the way it was and that is no longer the goal of exercise.
I heard from a therapist that if one could discipline physical exercise into their life, then they could discipline anything. They can discipline their mind and thoughts. They can discipline food and friendships. They can discipline their spiritual lives. I have seen this to be true and this is the reason that Cathe has been a significant part of my life. She has given me the means to workout at home with my kids in a way that is valuable.
I am a much sweeter mom because I workout. I am a much kinder wife because I workout. I have a cleaner house because I workout. Believe it or not, I have a better relationship with God because of exercise.
The full impact of Cathe’s work on my life is still working it’s magic, as I daily exercise for my personal health and the health of my family. I am blessed and grateful for the time and energy spent providing fun and effective workouts that improve my capacity to live life well.
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