“I’ve always enjoyed exercise, but I’ve never been particularly good at conventional sports. I joined little league as a kid and had to quickly come to terms with the fact that I didn’t have the pace of a midfielder, or the technique of a striker, so centre back it was. I think I only scored one goal during my entire ten-year little league career – a deflection off my shin from a corner. So, if my vague dreams of football stardom weren’t to come true, I had to find something else.
Luckily for me, my parents had put me in swimming lessons since I was five years old. If I couldn’t run faster or throw farther, than most of my friends, I could usually count on the fact that I was a better swimmer. I’m naturally a little competitive, so if I couldn’t smash one in the top corner, flailing through a length of butterfly stroke faster than my friends would have to do.
Like most people I’ve been an off again, on again, member of a handful of gyms. The first few times I joined my enthusiasm waned after a couple of months, or I got bored of making my own routines with no real goals in mind. The most recent time, I did feel like I was making progress but then my career picked up with regular travel and irregular hours – giving me an easy excuse to stop going.
The one sport I have managed to maintain on a regular basis since childhood is kayaking. I think I’ve managed to keep it up because it feels like more of a skill, I can enjoy the progress of learning new techniques, and then being able to use them on rivers or white-water courses. Kayaking is great, but at most I’m able to do it once a week, so I was thinking about what else I could try when Alex spoke to me about HIIT.
Since starting HIIT training with Alex I can honestly say that I’ve had more motivation for regular exercise than ever before. I’ve experimented with HIIT in the past, but never with someone like Alex who knows what they’re doing and makes it fun and friendly for everyone to get involved.
Being part of the zoom workout group that Alex has created with Humans of HIIT has changed the way that I think about exercise. There are tons of YouTube home workouts that you can follow along, but the scheduled zoom classes with the group helps to keep you motivated, and Alex is always open to requests if you’ve got any goals. For me it was strengthening my back to help with the physical demands of my job as a Camera Operator.
The routines that Alex comes up with are genuinely fun, and he breaks them down to create classes that are challenging no matter your level of fitness. Since starting regular HIIT sessions with Alex I’ve noticed an improvement to my strength and stamina – and I really look forward to the classes!
Alex has got such an infectious passion for getting people active that it’s hard for it not to rub off on you!”
Thank you from the Humans of HIIT community for sharing your story!
