Taking a Health Journey One Day at a Time

As a young woman playing sports in high school and college, Kelly was able to stay in shape. When she became a mother, the challenges of day-to-day life put exercise on the backburner. As much as she loves being a mom, Kelly felt like she had lost her spark.

An off-hand comment from her son’s elementary school classmate that he was shocked she too would put on a bathing suit to join the family at the pool still stings a bit. “The way he said ‘even you, Mrs. Tucker?’ was like he couldn’t believe I would even considering coming outside in a bathing suit,” Kelly recounts. But it was the wakeup call she needed.

After coping with her parent’s deaths from cancer and facing her own healthy challenges attributed to the lack of exercise and poor eating choices, Kelly wanted a change. She didn’t want her health to stand in the way of being a great mom, wife, friend and co-worker. She joined the Robinhood Road Family YMCA just as it opened its doors in December 2009.

Kelly was intimidated when she first walked through the doors – worried other members would judge her or that she wouldn’t be able to handle the exercise. Instead of judgment, Kelly found the supportive atmosphere she needed to succeed.

Gradually progressing from the women’s wellness room to the main exercise equipment and finally to a group exercise class, Kelly built friendships. The sense of pride she felt after completing her first BODYPUMP class was overwhelming. As her confidence blossomed, her body began to change as well. Today, Kelly has run two 5K races, works out six days a week, sleeps better at night, and feels she is a better mom, wife and co-worker and her medications have been drastically reduced. Overall, Kelly has lost 73 pounds in two and a half years.

Each day since she started exercising regularly, Kelly logs her workouts in a journal. From the first five minutes on the treadmill to her recent accomplishment in a group exercise class, she can look back on what she has achieved, how she has felt along the way, and plan goals for the future. “With the support of my wonderful husband through this entire process, I can keep focusing on my health journey. Now our family is involved in activities that keep us active and healthy,” Kelly shares. “I stay motivated by saying ‘Yes I can’ and reminding myself today is a new day.”