How long have you been a Kic community member for and how do you like to use Kic?

I’ve been using Kic for 4 years and I use the meditations daily and alternate daily workouts with running.

What has Kic taught you?

How much more important it is to feel good rather then ‘look good’. It’s taught me exercise should not be punishment

What was your relationship with food and exercise like before Kic?

So bad! I would not eat for a day here and there to punish myself for having something “bad” or I would go to the gym for hours and do cardio only as punishment. A typical female raised in the 2000’s, I believed my self worth was intrinsically linked to how I looked. Exercise has always been a big part of my life, but I never really enjoyed it until I started with Kic.

Could you describe a challenging moment in your health and fitness journey and how Kic helped you overcome it?

Last year I was going so well with my health and fitness journey – I had good routine, my mental health was going great and my fitness levels were the best ever. Then my job as a paramedic sent me to outback NSW and everything took a plummet. I started working on an on-call roster and always had to be available. My workouts were constantly cut short and I struggled to maintain good nutrition. Sleep was interrupted every night as well. I found myself with no energy and constantly anxious. This was around the time Kic started their 6-8week programs. I started with the goal of 3 workouts a week and doing them when I could, then I started running on the treadmill. I incorporated daily meditations and regularly meal prepped with the app. It was incredible how much better I started to feel! Even though routine is still difficult, I find that I can be consistent with workouts – if they get interrupted by work, I just make sure to finish them later that day. I will also do the mini challenges throughout my work week to release the endorphins. Now, I’ve completed 2 Kic programs and have set a goal for a half marathon sometime in the new year. Without Kic, I’m sure I would not be feeling as good as I am about my current health and fitness journey.

What makes Kic different for you?

There’s no focus on how you look! It’s about how you feel! Previously I have done other workout programs that made me feel terrible because I didn’t get a thigh gap or an hourglass figure after 12 weeks of training. Kic is just so beautiful accepting and encouraging of all levels and ability.

What about Kic has surprised you?

Before Kic I didn’t understand how important exercise was in maintaining my mental health. It was so interesting to see that when I have been at my worst mentally doing a workout or a mini challenge helps so much.