Exercising from Home
At Home with the Hastys - Exercising from Home
The Backstory
New to Hasty Book List? Read about the fire that prompted this home renovation, here.
The Inspiration
I heard recently the first fitness studio I ever joined was closing, due in part to COVID. Bloomington Body Bar in Bloomington, IN will always hold a special place in my heart. Until joining their studio, I thought I hated exercising. I was convinced that I wasn’t the “working out” type - that exercise was reserved for those who wanted to bulk up or at least people who were far more motivated in life than I was. But I woke up one morning (isn’t that how life changes always occur?) and decided I needed to make some drastic changes. So I walked literally across the street to Bloomington Body Bar and signed up for an unlimited monthly membership. And that was the day I started meeting some of the best friends I had in that town. The hardest thing about moving to Chicago was saying goodbye to that studio.
In St. Louis I joined Orange Theory. Some people find the idea of your heart rate being on display for the rest of the class to see a little intimidating. But thanks to Bloomington Body Bar, I had the confidence to walk into any fitness studio. I found the heart rate monitor motivating and I never once felt like I was competing with anyone else in the room, just myself. Again, I met some amazing people (both members and coaches) and I actually looked forward to seeing everyone when I showed up for class. They even kept in touch when I had to suspend my membership due to a knee injury. Some of the members joined my book club and exchanged book recommendations and I still keep in touch with several of the instructors on social media. The hardest thing about moving to Chicago was saying goodbye to that studio.
At Home with the Hastys - Exercising from Home
After moving to Chicago, I tried a few different studios, including Orange Theory, a few barre places, and even studio-hopped using Class Pass to check out a bunch of different studios. They just didn’t have the same welcoming vibe. The staff never seemed to recognize me, even after I’d been going to the same studio for weeks or months. The instructors never chatted with me and the members all kept to themselves. I never found quite the right place. Is it a big city thing? Do fitness studios in cities discourage camaraderie that comes naturally in smaller towns? Then COVID hit and fitness studios were shut down. And my fitness routine dwindled to nothing. It is hard to motivate yourself to exercise without that sense of community to keep you accountable.
At Home with the Hastys - Exercising from Home
Exercising from Home
When our apartment gym opened back up, I started using their equipment. I started with the treadmill because it was familiar but was a bit apprehensive as my knee was still healing from the injury I had the year prior (recovery is a long and arduous road.) Then….THEN…I tried the Peloton bike. You can follow that journey in my Instagram Stories under the Peloton highlight. I’d found my people. I thought I’d never be self-motivated enough to workout without a scheduled class to go to, but the enthusiastic instructors, great playlists, and the Peloton community got me hooked right away. I had several friends who were already part of the Peloton family (Dana, my colleague at IU, was the first one to tell me about them…but I also saw Kit of The Kittchen posting about it too.) And once I started posting about it, many authors and other people in the book community reached out about loving Peloton, too! BUT the Peloton bike at our apartment gym is a hot commodity and I often had to wait upwards of 30 minutes for my turn to get on the bike. I was getting frustrated and discouraged. So we bought our own.
In the condo, the bike will be in the sunroom. The happiest, brightest place in the house. Because who wants to work out in a dark, depressing room? Not me. I want sunlight and a view! I can’t wait to get it setup in our home, but this view will do in the meantime.
5 Peloton Rides That Bring Me Joy
30 min P!nk Ride with CHRISTINE D'ERCOLE (11/1/19)
45 min Queen Pop Ride with ROBIN ARZÓN (10/22/18)
30 min Hamilton Ride with ROBIN ARZÓN (10/14/20)
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At Home with the Hastys - Exercising from Home
