Joe: 'Having accountability has been a big part of my WW journey!'
What interested you in giving the Everyone Active opportunity a go?
When WW approached me to take part in the WW Partnership with Everyone Active, I was hesitant to put my name in the hat at first. Throughout lockdown I had struggled to find the motivation to exercise without being able to go to my usual gym or spin session. Home workouts were just not for me.
However, what I have found useful during the last year is setting myself small challenges – whether that be completing Couch to 5K or committing to walk over 300,000 steps in September. So, I looked at this as just another challenge and although I knew I hated home workouts I wanted to push myself to complete them and get fitter during the third national lockdown.
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Tell us a little about your Everyone Active experience!
Having accountability has been a big part of my WW journey and so being able to check in with Jo, our PT, and log in to those Zoom workouts really helped me. I have also picked up some new routines to try out in the gym now they have reopened which was something I felt I lacked before. I would walk into a gym and think ‘I don’t know what to do’.
I’ll admit that I’m still not a massive fan of home workouts but I’m proud of myself for completing them and over the 8 weeks I felt myself getting stronger and less out of breath by the end of the session, so I must have been doing something right!
How has this opportunity helped you?
One of the biggest things that I got out of the project was the impact it had on my mental health. This third lockdown was the hardest by far for me. Dark, cold days, not being able to see friends and family and feeling like my comfort eating was out of control really took its toll on me. Many times I didn’t want to work out but I knew afterwards I would feel so much better. The sense of achievement and energy I got from my sessions also helped me to focus on other areas of my life I wanted to improve during this period. Jo was always happy to chat through things with me too which showed she was invested in more than just the exercise part of our journeys. I felt so open to be able to tell Jo if I was having a rubbish day.
The project with Everyone Active has reaffirmed for me the importance of exercise for not only your physical health but also your mental health and overall wellbeing. As we slowly come out of lockdown I’ll definitely be incorporating more exercise into my weightloss journey and will attempt to use the kettle bell I bought as more than just a doorstop!
I know that as exercise becomes a part of my routine I’ll feel and see more benefits physically and mentally. It’s so important that we can recognise and talk about times when we might be struggling a little and use the tools available to us to improve our mindset and exercise is one of those tools.