Freyja Kendrick’s emotional journey to a low-impact exercise plan started after many years of ache, setbacks, and a deep need to really feel like herself once more.
What began with a gymnastics damage in highschool become years of bodily and emotional challenges that left her barely in a position to stroll. At simply 18, Freyja gained 40 kilos whereas recovering from extreme burns.
As she tried to regain management of her well being, she explored completely different exercises—energy yoga, kickboxing, and extra.
However none of them supported sustainable well being. Her knee ache all the time received worse, forcing her to give up.
Over time, different accidents piled on. She slipped on the ice. She fell whereas snorkeling.
Every incident added extra ache and made on a regular basis motion tougher. Even a brief stroll felt not possible.
Ultimately, in 2019, she met with a knee alternative surgeon, determined for assist.
“I stated, ‘I’ve received to do one thing about this ache,’ and he stated, ‘Nicely, you’ve received to do one thing about your weight. I can’t function on somebody your measurement.’ It was devastating to listen to he wouldn’t function on me,” Freyja shared to TODAY.
That second shifted every thing.
Discovering hope in a low-impact exercise plan
Freyja wanted one thing mild, efficient, and constant.
That’s when she discovered Fluid Working, a water-based health program that supplied the low-impact exercise plan she had been looking for.
She started with early Friday morning courses at an area pool close to her Chicago dwelling. Virtually immediately, she felt a spark of hope.
“It was a monumental shift in my life. Having the ability to work out arduous, which is what I had achieved as an athlete, was what I needed to do. I needed to get my coronary heart charge up,” she stated. “I began feeling actually good.”
After a couple of classes, she purchased the Fluid Working app and gear to proceed from a pool nearer to dwelling.
She saved up with three classes every week and added occasional group courses.
Within the water, she might lastly push herself with out the ache. The train helped her physique and her thoughts.
Her blood stress dropped. Her stress eased. For the primary time in years, she was transferring with out concern.
A mild strength-building routine that labored
Alongside together with her pool exercises, Freyja added strolling every day for weight reduction. She began small however stayed constant.
Collectively, the water workouts and every day walks fashioned a mild strength-building routine that her physique might deal with—and extra importantly, follow.
In simply eight weeks, she misplaced 10 kilos. Nevertheless it wasn’t simply in regards to the quantity. Her power grew. Her temper improved.
She started to imagine lasting change was potential.
The low-impact exercise plan is constructed on mild, regular energy
To make her progress final, Freyja additionally checked out her consuming habits.
She related with a nutritionist to assist her construct a plan centered on sustainable well being. The objective wasn’t quick outcomes—it was long-term wellness.
“I had been obese my complete life and I knew if I took it off rapidly, it could simply come proper again on. I needed to do it proper,” she stated.
Her new strategy emphasised complete meals, about 30 grams of protein per meal, and protecting carbs underneath 100 grams every day.
She nonetheless loved treats—she made decisions supporting her greater targets.
“It’s a tradeoff, to eat in a sustainable approach, after which to maintain your physique match so when the load comes off, you’re not simply smaller, you’re leaner and more healthy and you are feeling higher.”
However meals has all the time been greater than gas.
“To me, meals is a reward… All the things’s a deal with. In case you had a very good day, you deal with your self. In case you had a nasty day, you deal with your self.”
That perception led her to remedy, the place she started the deeper emotional work of her transformation.
This was an emotional journey of weight reduction, not only a bodily one. With time, she shifted her considering and located delight in consuming for nourishment—not consolation.
A brand new life via consistency and braveness
Freyja’s journey paid off. Over the subsequent 18 months, she misplaced 65 kilos. That gave her the inexperienced mild for 2 knee alternative surgical procedures, simply three months aside.
Six months after her second surgical procedure, she was sturdy sufficient to run a 5K. And it wasn’t even tough.
“It was straightforward. I had achieved 10Ks within the water 1,000,000 instances,” she stated.
Her dedication to a low-impact exercise plan and delicate strength-building routine had ready her for this second.
She additionally continued strolling every day for weight reduction, which saved her lively and grounded outdoors the pool.
Now, she feels extra current, balanced, and assured dealing with every day ups and downs.
Trying forward—with energy and freedom
Freyja’s private development additionally strengthened her relationship together with her husband, whom she met in 2016.
He had began understanding a couple of yr earlier than she did, and now they assist one another via their well being journeys.
She desires the power to maintain up with him as they age. She focuses on sustaining sustainable well being to allow them to take pleasure in their future collectively.
A part of that future contains retiring in Mexico, the place they hope to journey the nation. On the high of her checklist: climbing the forest hills of Michoacán to see the monarch butterflies.
She usually imagines that scene whereas doing hill drills within the pool. “I’m picturing that hill that leads me via the forest as much as the butterflies,” she stated.
Watch this quick video to see how a low-impact exercise plan like Fluid Working can assist you construct energy with out the pressure:
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