12/28/2025
Why I Share My Own Experience
If you’ve ever talked to me about fitness, you know how much I believe in sharing my own experiences — the good, the hard, and the recovery.
Not because I have it all figured out, but because I remember exactly how overwhelming it felt to start.
In the beginning, my journey didn’t look like “training.”
It was just a few small, consistent steps — yoga and mobility. That’s where my body was, and that’s where I started.
As my body changed, my approach had to change too.
I began noticing inflammation and arthritis more, and I started paying attention to how food affected how I felt. Over time — not overnight — I learned that sugar and preservatives didn’t support my body. They increased joint pain and inflammation. So I slowly adjusted. Not perfectly. Just intentionally.
Later, strength and conditioning became necessary, especially as I prepared for and recovered from hip replacement. Not to push harder or prove anything — but to support my body so I could keep living the life I enjoy.
That progression matters to me, because I understand the fear people have around getting started.
Not knowing where to go.
And the question I hear all the time:
“Where do I fit this into my day without giving up the things I like to do?”
For me, the signs that I was losing strength didn’t show up all at once.
They showed up in fatigue.
In slower recovery.
In normal days taking more out of me than they should have.
And I want to be really clear about something I hear often:
Weakness is not caused by getting older.
That’s a lie we’ve been told.
Loss of strength comes from not using it — and the good news is that strength comes back the same way it fades: slowly, consistently, and safely.
Feeling strong in your body matters.
It’s not about vanity or performance — it’s about capability.
And honestly, it’s non-negotiable.
Because we will all have something that forces a pause.
An illness that knocks us down for a week.
A surgery.
An injury.
A season where life just hits hard.
And when you’ve felt what that downtime does to your body — how quickly things feel harder, heavier, more exhausting — you realize how important strength really is.
Nobody wants to feel weak in their own body.
And nobody wants getting back to feel impossible.
That’s why I stopped looking at choices as good or bad. Instead, I started asking a better question:
Is this okay… or is there a better choice right now? Does this support my goals?
That mindset changed everything.
It showed up in small things.
One delicious cup of coffee with heavy cream? Totally fine.
Four cups a day? Not the better choice for me.
Same with alcohol.
Having a beer or two occasionally with friends or family fit my life.
Having them multiple times a week didn’t support my recovery or my energy.
Nothing was “bad.”
I just learned to choose better more often.
Movement followed the same pattern.
I do a little mobility work every day — nothing fancy, just consistent.
And even on days I’m not teaching or training with my students, I still show up for my own workouts. That part is non-negotiable for me.
And here’s the honest truth about time:
My strength and conditioning sessions are usually 20–30 minutes.
Focused. Planned. Intentional.
After that, I’ll spend 15–20 easy minutes on the bike — nothing crushing, just steady movement that supports recovery.
That’s it.
And the same goes for frequency.
One workout a week helps maintain strength.
Two builds momentum and confidence.
Three or more simply moves you forward faster.
There is no wrong place to start.
Strength training, mobility, nutrition, and recovery shouldn’t require sacrificing your life.
They should support it.
We don’t train to punish ourselves.
We train so our bodies can keep up with the lives we want to live.
💪❤️
— Coach Ima
Back Porch Yogis Fitness Studio
Training for Your Life | Moving from pain to strength
