BEYONDexistence

It’s not about miraculously becoming a skinny person. Or… POOF! abs of steel. It’s not about running a 5 minute mile, or climbing Mt. Everest. It’s not about lifting what the Crossfit and powerlifting dudes and chicks are lifting in the weight room, or being able to become a pretzel in the yoga studio. It’s not about being better than someone else. It’s not about becoming what you were when you were 16 years old. It’s NOT about being perfect. It’s about embracing a challenge. It’s about setting realistic goals and empowering yourself. It’s about accepting who you are at this very

moment and going from here. It’s about finding and pushing your limits, and respecting wherever those limits are. It’s about falling head over heals in love with a lifestyle.

 

 

 

 

The first thing to remember is that, just like being forced to read a textbook on a subject you have no interest in isn’t going to make you love reading, or being forced to eat a food you hate for dinner probably won’t

inspire you to cook it for yourself, forcing yourself to exercise when you hate it isn’t going to make you love exercising. Maybe you’ll get so fed up you’ll run away, never looking back. You have to love it.

You can run, swim, cycle, walk, hike, lift, Spin, use cardio machines, dance, do Zumba, OCR, play basketball, volleyball, soccer, football, baseball, softball, tennis, ride horses, ski, snowboard, snowshoe, rock climb, surf, build houses, deliver mail, work on a farm, swing a sledge, walk dogs, wash windows, join the circus, train for American Ninja Warrior…

The only right way is your way.

I have to say, even as the fitness junkie I’ve become, working out in a typical gym with cardio machines, a weight room, and an empty studio for mat work by myself day after day, while still fun, takes an incredible

amount of mental effort. I love to self motivate, and I love the serenity and power that comes from independent exercise, but while living on the North Fork I have found the gift of something better: something incredible.

 

 

I’ve exercised in a hundred settings.
(go past all these pics to finish reading 😉 )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been thrown off dozens of horses, I’ve gotten lost in the NH White Mountains, I’ve trekked in the Himilayas, I’ve biked across France and Spain in the winter time, I’ve become a nearly professional sledgehammer-er and wheelbarrow driver, I wish throwing hay bales was an olympic sport, I’ve run a Spartan World Championship race, I’ve

worked on more than one farm, and I’ve built an 8 foot wall in my backyard. Yet, this local studio gym always has me running back for more.
JABS- Joining Active Bodies Studio in Cutchogue has stolen my heart… and my body! It’s the place I developed my love of fitness, and the place I get homesick for when I’m away. It’s the place where I’ve learned to love challenging my mind and body, but also the place where I’ve begun learning to simply love my mind and body.

 

In 2010 my best friend and I were convinced by another friend to try a Zumba class at Mattituck HS. I can’t dance. Like… REALLY can’t dance. We stood in the back row for months. But something kept us coming back, and when this most amazing Zumba instructor in the world (maybe I’m biased but I think its really, really true!) opened a studio gym called JABS, we were the first ones in line for our membership

at 6am on opening day! That was April 2011. 5 years later walking in that door is still as exciting.

While it is true that JABS doesn’t offer the typical weight room/cardio room set up, the strength and cardio workouts I get there are better than what I can drive out of myself. The variety of intense classes and outstanding instructors keeps us excited, while the family environment reminds us that we’re in this together.

The classes offered include customized versions of: Spin (renamed Liferide), Zumba (renamed Pulse), Circuit Training, Strength Training, combo Spin/Strength

(called RAM- Ride and Muscle), Core, Spartan based W.O.D.-Workout of the Day training (renamed WOW- Workout of the Week), Yoga, TRX, Pilates, Stretching (called DNA), and Personal training with some of these amazing Certified Personal Trainers.

 

The cardiovascular health developed through many of these classes can be life changing: The classes are always run to leave the level of exertion up to you and where you feel comfortable pushing yourself to (or rather where your comfort zone lies, encouraging you to take one step beyond). While it’s a place where many of us have begun our journeys, I can still get the best, sweatiest workouts of my life.

 

 

In some of my hardest moments, JABS has been my saving grace. I’ve built friendships, a support system, a deep respect for hard work and determination, a sense of independence and a real belief in my physical and mental strength. I’ve learned not to be afraid of who I am, not to worry about ‘making a fool of myself’ or what others think, and to put my heart and soul into every moment.

 

 

 

 

If you’re looking to bulk up, you’ll probably want to involve yourself more in a weight room. If you’re looking to build muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and sculpt a lean and evenly toned body (unless your abs become overly developed from laughing so hard every day) while drastically improving your mental health, JABS is calling your name 😉 Through a variety of ACTUALLY fun classes led by enthusiastic, knowledgeable instructors and filled with inspiring people who have become more than friends, this place has changed my life all for the best, and I can only hope you’ll give it the chance to change yours, too.