How I Sweat: Meet Katy

Welcome to How I Sweat, where we catch up with members of the Sweat Community to find out more about their lives and why they choose to Sweat. 

Today, we’re talking to Katy, who first joined Sweat when the app first launched. Living in Canada as a mother of one and working as a Registered Massage Therapist, Katy’s day-to-day life needs her to be fit and strong -  both for her job and her baby! And Sweat helps her do exactly that.

“The Sweat Community has helped me build healthy habits regarding exercise and movement. It has also connected me with so many like-minded ladies!”

“I now know I thrive with a routine and the habits the Sweat app has helped me build. Looking back, I realise how much I have grown from doing the stuff I perceived as “hard things.” I CAN do hard things!”

This is how Katy Sweats. 

My fitness journey and why I Sweat

My fitness journey with Sweat has been a wild ride. I originally started with Kayla’s original PDF guides to help get myself back to being fit and living a healthier lifestyle. 

It was something I desperately needed as I had been distracted with life and college and had adopted some very poor habits. Kayla’s programs helped me get into the gym, add fitness back into my life, and got me back onto the road to feeling like myself again.

Completing her 12-week program took me at least four or five tries. I would get two weeks in and stop, then I would get to four weeks in and stop. Sometimes I even stopped after one workout. It was the most challenging program I’ve ever done and it took me a year to fully complete it, but the feeling of pride and accomplishment was like nothing else!

How far I’ve come

When I completed Kayla’s program, I knew I wanted to start using the weights I saw in the gym and the launch of Kelsey’s PWR program was perfect timing - I switched immediately! I knew this was the exact program I was waiting for as it is the perfect combination of bodyweight exercises and gym equipment. 

I used PWR to train myself for a Worlds level cheerleading team, knowing I needed to be strong and have good endurance as the practices are incredibly gruelling. (Yes, I did make the team!). 

When that season of my life came to a close, I continued with PWR to maintain the healthy lifestyle that had become part of my routine. High Intensity With Kayla and PWR both helped me learn balance and how to build the strong habits which I still rely on today.

When starting any workout program, I wanted someone to tell me exactly what to do (either in the gym or at home) so I didn’t have to fumble my way through it not knowing what to do! 

I also wanted a progressive program that was built properly with lots of guidance, as I was new to gym equipment. Thanks to Kelsey’s PWR program, I am now fully confident in using any piece of equipment in the gym. Although I have tried many Sweat trainers and programs over the years (and there are still so many I am dying to try), Kelsey is my go-to trainer. 

I have gone from being quite unfit, overweight and feeling unhappy with myself to being fit and having strong confidence in myself and the routines I have developed.

My prenatal and postnatal fitness journey

Editor’s note: every woman’s journey through pregnancy and childbirth will be different, and it’s crucial you work with your healthcare team to determine when - and how - you approach exercise. Read our full guide here.

Staying active during my pregnancy was a whole new world. During my first trimester I was a total sloth! I could barely go for a walk around the block. Thankfully with the second trimester I got a lot more of my energy back and could resume my workouts and walks. 

I was able to work out 4-5 days a week with weight lifting as well as walking almost daily. I found this combination really helped my muscles stay strong throughout my pregnancy and kept me mobile as my baby and belly grew.

Since entering the postpartum phase, I have completed Kayla’s Low Impact Program, which I started at five weeks postpartum. This is fairly soon after giving birth and it’s important to get clearance from your doctor, but since I was very active right up to the day I delivered I was lucky enough to hop back into things fairly quickly. 

That's not to say that it was easy of course! I was so weak and every exercise was a challenge. I huffed and puffed my way through each workout, but I knew I could do it. I told myself I have done harder things (like push out a giant baby!). It will just take time and consistency.

My advice

Start and keep going, no matter how many times you have to get back up and keep at it.

I don’t believe in “falling off the wagon” - I view time off from training as a break, and then when you want to pick it up again you just keep going.

You're not ever failing, you are learning and progressing in your own time.

Monday to Friday

My life has changed dramatically now that I have a 4-month-old, and my weekdays look pretty similar. 

I start my days fulfilling what my baby needs, and if I have the energy in the mornings (aka my baby let me get a decent amount of sleep), then I open the Sweat app and see what I am doing that day. 

Sometimes, starting the workout is a challenge in itself. It’s easy to open the Sweat app to find the workout and preview it, but actually getting up and pressing start can sometimes take me ages! 

If I want to work out it has to be in the morning, otherwise there is no chance of it happening later in the day. Before becoming a mum, I used to spend hours at the gym and it could be at any time of day without other responsibilities plaguing me. The life! 

After I have completed the workout we both eat, take a nap, and then go for a walk. Our walks are very much weather dependent, so when it's nice outside we either load up the stroller or I’ll wear my baby. I really enjoy long walks, some days it's up to six or seven kilometres! Going for daily walks has been a lifesaver for me emotionally and mentally. 

Then we press repeat until the weekend.

As I am pretty active, I have been trying to add in more recovery days. Holding a very cute sack of potatoes does start to take its toll on your body too.

My proudest moments of each week is when I look back on the week and I have completed all my goals and each workout I had planned.

Weekends

Saturdays and Sundays are rest days for us as it’s family time. The three of us will go for a couple of long walks and enjoy the fresh air. Recently we’ve taken to checking out different breweries in the area which has been fun too!

How do YOU choose to Sweat? 

No matter what you’re juggling in your day-to-day life, what form of movement you enjoy the most, or what time of day you can squeeze it in, Sweat can fit into your lifestyle. 

There’s a large variety of programs, workout styles and trainers to suit any fitness level or goal, and an amazing community of women ready to cheer you on every step of the way. 

So tell us in the comments, how do YOU Sweat?