Fitness Is More Than Physical: The Power of Community, Walking & Pickleball

The people I wanted to be around.

In the spirit of avoiding “analysis paralysis,” I closed my eyes and started hitting publish. Thanks for being here with me, and I hope you take away something useful.

It feels unfamiliar to share so openly, but each time I do, I hear from someone who relates to something I’ve written, and learning about your experience helps me feel less alone in all of this. Community is key.

It reminds me of what happened in high school…

First. There are two kinds of people in the world; the people who loved high school and the rest of us.

Maybe I flew too close to the sun, but it all happened so fast.

For me, the best part of high school was the community I built at the local gym. Everyone was excited about eating healthy and taking care of their bodies, and I thought that was so cool, uplifting, and inspiring. I wanted to be around people who ordered their veggies “steamed” and didn’t make me apologize for my salad.

This was following my sophomore year when a few of us (sophomore girls) went to homecoming with seniors, and quickly became the target of some seniors. It resulted in rumors and the type of bullying that ruined high school for me.

Unknowingly, I launched my first PR campaign that week. Before I lost my confidence, I picked up the phone and called a dozen people to tell them the real story. I went to bed thinking I had cleared my name. Unfortunately, I learned that the rumor mill was louder than the truth, and I got blamed for the cops coming to bust up a senior party. I was the scapegoat.

It was a common practice for the seniors to create “hit lists” of people they hated and would haze. They printed banners from the school library and plastered our names across the lobby with threatening messages. Somedays, I was the sole target, other days, it was a group of us. I was told a trio of senior guys were “looking for” me in the halls to “beat me up.” I ran from English to Algebra, terrified.

Rumors gained momentum, homes were vandalized, and my high school experience was destroyed, along with my self-esteem. I walked with my head down for years. At the same time, I made the unpopular decision not to smoke any herbs, if you will, and tried to make myself invisible to avoid further attacks.

On one hand, it would have been easy to self-medicate through the anxiety and depression, but even at 16, I had a pragmatic side. I didn’t want to get in trouble or add more drama to the situation. But, I still needed a community and some kind of outlet.

After-school I was a babysitter and part-time nanny for some local families. Everything changed one idle Tuesday. A mom I worked for came home with a free 2-week pass to the local gym—and she gave it to me! Membership was expensive, but it was love at first sight. I picked up a restaurant job on weekends and figured out how to make the monthly payments. It took a few months, but eventually, I proudly returned with my initiation fee in tow.

I always felt like that gym saved me. I went 5-6 times a week, made a bunch of friends (met my then-boyfriend), and found my first yoga and kickboxing class. I loved it.

Fast forward to now, and it makes sense that I was drawn to creating my own yoga app, but when vertigo prevents me from practicing, it feels like a part of my identity is gone. Since I was a teenager, fitness was how I coped. I knew I could clear my mind and find my homeostasis with a good workout.

So, now what?

I started focusing on exercises that keep my head upright.

For example, walking. Walking outside in a peaceful, nature-rich environment is ideal. For years, I overlooked walking as “too easy.” Clouded by sweat sessions on the StairMaster, I underestimated the power of walking.

Now, I sneak in a lap in between meetings or do 3-5 miles here and there. I walk at a comfortable pace and love to listen to podcasts and training courses. Walking clears my head and helps me focus. I come home with a Notes doc filled with ideas. I’m usually listening to cultivate competency in a skill and love MasterClass (especially Sara Blakely’s entrepreneur program and David Mamet’s writing class!).

One of my favorite people, Rosie, who we’ve been visiting in Tennessee this month, is famous for her Walk & Talks. She makes it part of her weekly schedule to have a catch-up call with people she loves, while she’s getting her steps in somewhere in the Tennessee mountains or wherever she is in the world.

I wrote about this when I guest-curated her company newsletter, Strands of Genius, but walking outside and breathing in nature have actual medical benefits.

And I’m not opposed to trying the TikTok famous “hot girl walks” on the treadmill (will report back! :)).

Most recently, Jason and I have been loving Pickleball! We played with a dozen different people over the last two weeks, and everyone picked up the game quickly. Looking forward to our next match.

These days, I’m trying to remind myself to get back to basics. Community and movement go a long way. Like the healing effect of playing Pickleball with your friends 🙌