Molly Brake, from Biddeford, started exercising during the pandemic by first walking every day and then jogging and going to the gym. Since then she has lost 175 pounds. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

BIDDEFORD — Molly Brake never ran, rode a bike, or practiced kickboxing. But after losing 175 pounds during the pandemic, she now leads an active life filled with adventure, curiosity and an enthusiasm for new challenges.

“I started this journey as a coping mechanism during the pandemic and have found it to have enriched my life in many ways. I’m in a great place mentally, physically and spiritually,” Brake said.

At a time when many people are making New Year’s resolutions to exercise more, Brake’s story, and that of several other Mainers, offers some clues as to how to embrace an exercise program as part of a healthier lifestyle. The pandemic set these Mainers on a path to improved mental and physical health that has resulted in them finding joy and pride in their determination to prioritize self-care.

Gym owners, yoga teachers, and personal trainers in southern Maine agree: The challenges and uncertainties of the pandemic have motivated some people to improve their mental and physical health. And those who stuck with it experienced significant benefits.

Brake, 55, resident of Biddeford who works for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland, experienced Empty Nest Syndrome when the youngest of her two children entered college in 2019. find yourself Isolating at home when her office was closed early in the pandemic, Brake began walk more to be outside and healthy. Walking soon turned into running. Then the gym membership, unused for years, started to take its toll. As Brake lost weight, she began eating healthier. She stopped going to fast food restaurants.

She lost 175 pounds and is now down to a slim 130 pounds. And Brake doesn’t give up.

Most days she runs, walks, or goes to the gym or kickboxing. She found that alternating up her exercise routine keeps her inspired — and injury-free. Some days she hits the gym first thing in the morning — and then goes home after work to run on her treadmill. When her two daughters are visiting, she now goes running or cycling with them.

As Brake’s dress sizes shrunk, she kept one pair of pants from each size as a visible reminder of her progress and success.

“I’m not afraid to try new activities and I’m not afraid to walk into a room with strangers,” she said. “I now look forward to new adventures and challenges. I wanted to live for my children and my family. I wanted to take an active part in her life. I can do this now.”

Lindsey Horowitz, a teacher at Greely Middle School, began volunteering as a track and field coach to foster a supportive community of friends and peers for students. She also found the activities benefited her own well-being and has maintained a daily exercise routine. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Others found a healthier fitness routine almost by accident during the pandemic.

South Portland’s Lindsey Horowitz practiced yoga before the pandemic, having given up running years ago. As a teacher at Greely Middle School in Cumberland, she watched her students return to school but still struggled a year into the pandemic. Horowitz felt she needed a supportive community of friends and peers, so she volunteered to be a track coach in the spring of 2021. In the fall, she volunteered as a cross-country coach and started running again so she could run with her students.

Horowitz joined the Nordic ski coaching staff as a volunteer last winter, although she has not skied. Eventually she took up skiing herself. Now Horowitz challenges himself to either practice yoga or run every day, adopting a daily exercise ritual every day. She drives around in her car with skis and skates in readiness when snow arrives in southern Maine.

“If you had told me in 2020 that I would become a volunteer ski coach, I would have laughed because I’ve never skied beforesaid Horowitz, 33. “Coaching children has really inspired me to be more active. If I tell them to work hard and make an effort, I should do it. It was transformative.”

Brie Beaudette, who attends the same Biddeford gym as Brake, began exercising in the early months of the pandemic when she had more alone time and faced greater uncertainty. And her life changed.

“It improved my body image. I saw results for the first time and stuck with it. I’ve also changed my eating habits. I plan on keeping it,” said Beaudette, who now goes to the gym five to six days a week and works out in some form nearly every day.

Deb Arthur, Head Instructor at NXGen Fitness Center in Scarborough, works primarily with people in their 60s and 70s. She said many of her clients have realized during the pandemic that exercise gives them resilience and a better immune system to fight viruses.

“Most people I see just want a better quality of life,” Arthur said. “They want to be able to pick up their grandchildren and walk with them on the floor. You want to be active longer. I work with people who want to be resilient.”

Gretchen Campos, a manager at Greener Postures Yoga in South Portland, said self-care has become a critical need during the pandemic, when people have had to be “teachers to their children and nannies and everything to everyone.”

“A lot of people have tried exercising at home with Peloton bikes or yoga on Zoom, but being around people is definitely a motivator,” she said.

Campos said the responsibility of being in a group class or on a fitness team can be a big motivator.

“If you’ve paid for a pass and packed your bag in the morning and you know you’re going to see your friends, what’s your excuse?” said Campos

That is Drew Graham’s experience.

The Saco resident found that like many others during the pandemic, he needed a healthy outlet. He asked a buddy from work if he would like to work out at the gym together. Graham wanted to make sure he would go. They meet at the gym at 6am every Tuesday and Thursday to lift weights and work out.

“When we’re about to meet up, I feel worse when I say no, and I feel better when I say, ‘Yeah, I’ll be there,'” Graham said.

The two men have talked about adding a third day to their weekly routine, Graham said, but he laughed when asked if that would happen at the turn of the year.

“I’m not sure if it’s going to happen. But I like to remain optimistic,” he said.

similar posts