How I transformed my relationship with exercise - my fitness journey #1

Movement is not a punishment — it’s a gift and a tool for a healthier and longer life. Here are the habits, the mindset shift and the tools that changed the game for me.

• This email may cut off, so you can click on the title to read the full post.

• If you like this post, please click on the heart button, leave a comment and/or share with someone that may be interested :) it means a lot to me and it helps me to reach more people!

• And if someone forwarded this post to you, you can sign up for yourself by clicking the button below.

• You can LISTEN to this article on Substack app. Yeah, like a podcast! Open the Substack App and look for the play icon at the top right of your screen on a post.

• The Tiny Apple just completed ONE year! Thank you for being here in my small corner of the internet!

As happened with a lot of millennials, I grew up in a very toxic diet culture - not saying that things are that good today - but I internalized really early on that being skinny was something good and being fat was something bad.

I have memories of colleagues making fun of one of the girls in my class because of her body type, I remember the fitness magazines featuring the new trending diet - next to a pic of a famous celebrity and their amazing body transformation - and I also remember my mom constantly saying how some kind of clothes would not be a good fit for me and would be perfect for a tall skinny body (I'm a short woman). I don't blame my mom for that. At the end of the day, she was also a victim of the insane beauty standards that women are expected to pursue.

I can't say I was fat when I was a kid and then a teenager, but that didn't save me from the reality of never feeling good enough in my own body. From trying hacks like eating papaya with whole seeds (it's the worst) and drinking laxative teas to make my intestine work to going to the gym when I was really young to then trying pretty restrictive diets when I went to college, I was always fighting with the scale. I was an average girl with an average body trying to lose weight at any cost.

And the examples around me were not the most positive ones. I had a cousin who took medication to lose weight and had hallucinations, a friend with a compulsive relationship with food, and a dad who would starve with black coffee, boiled eggs, and salad when he wanted to lose some weight. As you can conclude, there are not a lot of good examples of inspiration that would lead me to pursue a healthy relationship with food and exercise.

For years and years, I've always seen diets and exercise as some kind of punishment in order to achieve my goals - and I could set myself free from when I was done. It shouldn't be a surprise that these strategies never really worked. So, as an adult, I continued to struggle with my weight.

When things started to change…

Before I dive deep, I want to get things straight here: I've always had what they call today "thin privilege". I never had huge problems with my weight - I've always considered I had an average body - but it doesn't mean I didn't have insecurities or never struggled with some extra pounds, self-image or inconvenient comments.

I will never forget when I organized an event with a friend of mine and two of the attendees told me, straight to my face: "I thought you were skinnier." I don't know what hurt me more: the comment or the audacity.

Anyway, the fact is that I had a lot of phases. During the pandemic, for example, since I was not happy with my weight, I decided to do something about it and not only started exercising from home but also followed a diet plan developed by a nutritionist. But I lost some control over that after achieving my goals and… I gained weight again.

Then, two years ago, it was time for a change. Because of my POV, my habits and my relationship with food and exercise have changed a lot over these two years, and I can see why my old approach would never work long-term. Today, I see exercise as a tool for a longer and healthier life, a way to control my anxiety and sleep better - and yes, also a tool that can help me to maintain a weight I'm happy with. I've learned so much - and I'm still learning - and I wanted to share with you what has been working for me so far.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a health advisor, and the purpose of this post is to share my story and everything I've learned and, perhaps, inspire people to pursue a healthier life.

1. The change of mindset

Having aesthetic goals is fine, but things really changed for me when I understood that moving my body - and nourishing it properly - was a non-negotiable for living a long - and healthy - life.

Everything started when my husband read Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, by Peter Attia, and he couldn't stop talking about it - especially about the importance of protein, strength training, and muscle mass.

And I'm so grateful for being intentional with the people I follow on social media because, at the same time, a lot of them started to talk about this book and about how important it is to build muscle to have a strong body - not Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator strong, but strong to be able to keep doing simple tasks like wiping my butt and carrying my groceries when I'm 70 years old.

Although my husband had read the book, I was the one who told him: "Hey, it's time to sign up ourselves for strength training; it's time to lift some weights, lol." He was not that excited, but all he could answer me was: "You are right" - so that's how we started our strength training era journey 18 months ago.

I not only read the book but also gifted my mom a copy - and she enrolled in a gym to start lifting weights as well.

I'm not saying you have to read this specific book - but you should do your own research about the benefits of strength training, cardio exercises, and a diet rich in protein. There are a lot of free resources on the internet - especially on YouTube.

And for my girls out there, lifting weights will not make you bulky. Period.

The more I inform and educate myself about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the more I feel motivated to keep my habits. This way, I shifted from "I'm going to the gym to look hot" to "I'm going to the gym because I want to live longer" (and yeah, look hot as an awesome bonus as well, lol).

2. Start with what you got

Some people love to say that “exercising from home will not bring you any results,” while some other people think, “When I have more time (or money), I will enroll in a gym." The truth is that any exercise is better than no exercise.

In 2020, working out from home, using a chair and a laptop to connect with my personal trainer in Brazil.

When the pandemic hit, I started to do strength training at home with a personal trainer online and follow some other online workouts on streaming platforms. I was moving my body 5-6 a week, and I lost weight and improved my overall health. Over the almost 4 years working out from home - yes, 4 years - I built my own gym: weights in different sizes, a bosu ball, ankle weights, a kettlebell, mini-bands, and a TRX.

But don't picture a dedicated room with Pinterest vibes and a pastel color wall: everything was stored inside my closet, and I would exercise in my room. And it didn't start with all that equipment and that frequency. It started with 3x a week, with only a set of two elastic bands. And it was like that for months. When I realized I had built consistency, I bought more gym props.

And recently, I incorporated at-home workouts in my routine again. As I mentioned on my previous post, I wanted to get back to Pilates - but Pilates classes at studios can be pricey. To be honest, I was willing to make the money investment - but not the time investment. I needed to be something flexible - I didn't want to waste a lot of mental energy to match the studio schedule with my schedule - at the end of the day, my main focus is still strength training and running. So, after doing some research on Pilates subreddit, I discovered Move with Nicole and also Burn Pilates, both on Youtube. These two channels offer FREE classes led by two incredible instructors. Burn Pilates also offers paid subscriptions with exclusive content for an affordable price (starting at $5).

So, I guess my best advice would be to start with what you have and do your best with it. Whether it is walking 3x a week or doing a 20-minute workout from home every day, I believe consistency is super important when we are starting. Don't wait for the perfect circumstances - that may never happen. Start with consistency - it helps to create momentum and build a habit. This leads me to the next topic…

3. Accountability

When I decided, back in 2020, that it was time to move my body and a friend of mine shared the contact of her personal trainer, she couldn't have given me better advice. She told me: "Since I have a scheduled session with her, it's harder for me to let her down and skip my workout".

Listen, perhaps you are the kind of person who is super determined and can wake up in the morning and exercise by playing a video on YouTube. Today, I can say I'm able to do that. But 5 years ago? Never. So, contacting a professional, talking to her about my goals, and scheduling recurring sessions 3 x a week brought me accountability. I couldn't hit snooze when the alarm rang - there was someone waiting for me.

And after some months on that schedule and realizing I could follow an exercise routine by myself from home, I then decided to look for other ways to move my body. I did my research about streaming platforms offering different types of workouts. I signed up for Bodi (former Beach Body on demand) and The Sculpt Society, and I had a super intense workout routine that included strength training and cardio sessions, all from home. That helped me to set exercising as a habit and build a strong foundation when I decided it was time to get back to a real gym.

So, no, I will never discourage someone from working out from home. People have their reasons for that: money, time, or even insecurities. Back to my previous topic: any exercise is better than no exercise.

Signing up for my first Half Marathon helped me to create so much accountability with running! This is me running in Barcelona during my vacation time!

And listen, perhaps you can't afford a personal trainer now - but maybe you can create a system that works for you by having a workout buddy, by following a challenge, setting a reminder on your calendar, I don't know. You do you but try to have accountability when starting. And remember your why. These days, when my alarm rings in the morning, my first urge is to get back to sleep. But I know it's gonna make me feel good. As my husband always tells me: "You will never regret a workout".

In my post about my running journey, I mentioned a follower who told me she signs up for races to hold herself accountable. So, that's another kind of example of keeping consistency!

From “I could never” to completing my first Half Marathon: how I became a runner (and you can too)

• If you are planning to start running or already into running, I highly recommend Runna! I'm truly obsessed with this app and I can't recommend it enough! It is a running app designed to provide personalized training plans for runners of all levels, from beginners to marathoners. If you use my code LAURAP, you can try Runna for free for two weeks.

Also, remember the first topic: learning about the importance of moving my body helped me to make exercise a non-negotiable in my life.

Doing some strength training during my trip to Tenerife last year. I've always thought hotel gyms were useless and people who exercised while on a vacation were crazy. I guess the tables have turned lol.

4. Find what you love

I didn't wake up one day and decided to quit at-home workouts. It was a process. First, I decided to look for more challenging cardio workouts while I kept doing strength training with my personal trainer. I didn't even know where to start looking - I'm lucky to live in NYC, where there are tons of gyms and studios offering all kinds of classes.

I tried hot yoga (hate it), spinning (hate it), kickboxing (meh), and Solidcore (love it, ended up signing up for a membership for a while later on, but the commuting was killing me, lol), but I felt in love with Orangetheory classes.

• By the way, ClassPass is an excellent way to try different classes. I took advantage of their free month offer for first-time users. Try ClassPass for free for a month.

After a Solidcore workout. In 2023, I used ClassPass to try different workout classes in the city to discover something I like and would stick to it.

In case you are not familiar, Orangetheory is a very famous chain-gym that offers classes that combine cardio and strength training, utilizing a heart rate-based interval training system. Classes include time on the treadmill, water rower, and floor (strength training). I started with a 2x classes per week membership and later upgraded it to an unlimited membership, going 4x a week sometimes!

I know Orangetheory has a lot of critics, but I'm forever grateful for my time there, which was a little bit over a year. Again, some people need accountability, the charging fees policy for cancellations or no-shows. Consistency may not come easily depending on people's routines and schedules, so I think class-model gyms are super important. Plus, Orangetheory helped me build a strong foundation and discover another passion: running.

So, my point is to find an activity you love and stick to it. I tried spinning classes in different studios and I just can't stand the cult vibes, lol. On the other hand, I absolutely LOVE to bike outside.

5. Make fun plans to move your body

I really believe having an exercise routine is something we should see as a forever commitment - it has to! - so we better find ways to make our routines more appealing, positive, and exciting. And there are some ways to do that - and I guess that making it a habit that's also part of your social life can help. Like making you feel you are part of a community, you know? Or making it fun plans around it. Here are some examples of things you can do in NYC:

• Signing up for classes at some studio (like Orangetheory or your local Pilates studio). Famous chains or local spots have a sense of community, and they promote special events to engage their members. Orangetheory, for instance, always promoted challenges - like the Dri-tri or the Transformation challenge.

After Dri Tri - one of Orangetheory challenges.

• Plan a hiking day - from NYC, for example, you can take the Metro-North to Cold Spring or Beacon and access different hiking trails (without having to rent a car). Or do challenges like Manhattan Urban Hiking - aka Broad City Challenge, which is a walking tour of Manhattan, from top to bottom.

Hiking in Cold Spring - this a cool day trip idea! You can check more details here.

• If you are into running, you can join a running club. I found this page through Reddit listing running clubs in the city.

• Take a look at events - I can speak for NYC, especially in the warmer months; there are so many things happening here. From yoga at Bryant Park to workout classes at Seaport and Skate roller lessons at Brooklyn Bridge Park, there are tons of ways to keep yourself active while doing something different! You can also take a look at Eventbrite, which has tons of events related to wellness and fitness (and a lot of them are free!).

Crossing Mario Cuomo Bridge by bike in Tarrytown. There's a spot to rent bikes there.

Governors Island is a car-free place where you can rent a bike - bring some snacks and have a picnic after!

• Plan a date with your friends that involves some activity - it could be trying a class together, it could be a run followed by some ice cream, it could be a hike, it could be biking in the park followed by a picnic. A friend of mine, for example, is a member of Lifetime Gym, and we all took a class together as her guests and headed to Sweetgreen after to have dinner and gossip. We also tried a pole dance class together in the past.

A post-workout selfie with my friends. We had dinner together at sweetgreen after.

My husband and my friends joined me for a warm up run before my half marathon and, after that, we had a well deserved brunch together.

6. Do your research

This is especially true for women. It pisses me off that a lot of us learned early in the days that we needed to literally sweat our asses off at the gym by doing intensive cardio, and staying away from weight lifting cause that would make us look bulky and "masculine." I am not saying we should not do cardio, but strength training is so important!

And while Outlive was a game-changer for my mindset related to health, I didn't stop there. I think the book is an amazing source of information, but after that, I have also explored more and more content related to fitness, nutrition, and health - always based on data and research and from certified professionals.

If you need someplace to start, I highly recommend these two podcasts - I urge you to listen if you are a woman and +35y. Also, this book is on my wishlist as well.

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Keltie O'Connor videos - no BS content!

7. Have cute outfits

It should be self-explanatory, but I guess we should learn how to dress to ourselves and how look cute to ourselves. I don't know about you, but I like to look at myself in the mirror and see how gorgeous I look, how cute my outfit is, or how beautiful my hair is. Let's normalize seeking beauty for our appreciation - whatever beauty means to you. And that goes without saying for your gym outfit. You should praise comfort and, why not, something stylish and cute that makes you feel good in your skin.

There's a lady in my gym - she is probably in her 50s - and every time I see her, she is wearing a fun top and legging set with bold colors and fun prints. Listen: I'm not into prints for gym clothing, but she is, and if that makes her happy and confident and helps her move her body, good for her! My point is: a cute outfit that matches your style just hits different, you know? lol. And that can be another factor to help moving your body.

I really hope this post can bring some inspiration to your life regarding exercise - I guess I could summarize everything by saying this is a journey - it's a marathon, not a race. It's something I will have to do for the rest of my life, so I better figure out ways to make this habit not only sustainable but fun!

I was going to cover some nutrition topics, but I realized the post would be too long, so stay tuned for part 2!