I stood gasping for air. After just 10 minutes of working my abdominal muscles and my skin was as sweaty as it gets after a 30-minute session of kickboxing at the gym. Maybe sweatier. Chloe Ting’s second-day video kicked my butt.

In my mind, my peak physical condition was my junior year of high school when I weighed 133 pounds, could bench press 150+ pounds, squat 225 pounds, and run a mile in 7 minutes and 20 seconds.

Since graduating, I’ve been in and out of fitness. I’ve done rock climbing, yoga studio sessions, Zumba classes, and kickboxing. I fail to stick with anything for more than a few weeks, though.

Everyone has their own fitness journey. Mine has been up and down. The most out of shape I’ve been was in 2016 when I weighed 156 pounds and hadn’t worked out for more than a year. I became winded after walking up a single flight of stairs one day and realized something had to change.

I began going to Planet Fitness to lift weights and get on the treadmill. I had a gym partner who kept me motivated for about six months. Then we had a falling out, and I quit the gym for three months. I started going again when we made up, but I wasn’t working as hard. Then I had surgery and was out for another two months.

Such was my fitness journey. In and out of the gym. Never being consistent.

At the beginning of 2020, I discovered kickboxing through a free 6–week challenge. I loved it so much that I became a member at the gym. Then Covid-19 closed everything down.

I’ve never been one to work out at home. I lack self-motivation. So when the gym stopped allowing people through the doors, I stopped working out. I tried. I followed two virtual workouts, and for about a month I would jog one or two miles around the apartment complex. But without the music and energetic coaches screaming encouragement in my face, I grew bored and unmotivated.

Each person’s path to health is different, but some things bring us together no matter our fitness level. Like social media challenges.

Usually, I’m not one to follow trends. They typically aren’t something I deem worth the time investment. However, I recently started Chloe Ting’s 28-Day Flat Tummy Challenge.

Honestly, I had no idea who Chloe Ting was until I came across Alice Lemée’s article “How Chloe Ting Became the Queen of Home Fitness.” Chloe Ting is an Australian fitness icon and now, thanks to Covid-19, an internet sensation.

I began looking into workouts to flatten my stomach because my wedding is coming up in October. I want to look amazing in my dress. But I also want something that will last long term. My fiancé and I aspire to be the “fit couple” in the neighbourhood once we’re in our forties. To be fit as we get older, we have to develop workout routines and healthy eating habits now.

So I started Chloe Ting’s challenge to see if the internet sensation lives up to the hype. She has multiple workout challenges on her website, targeting different areas (abs, thighs, etc.), so you can choose the one that works for your goals.

Here’s how mine is going so far:

Day 1: Not too bad. It consisted of a 20-minute Full Body Fat Blast video and a 10-minute abs video. I had to take longer breaks than the videos allowed for, but I made it through.

Day 2: Only a 10-minute abs video (a different one), but it was hard! So many plank positions. Up-and-down plank, mountain climbers, plank leg kicks. Each exercise is for 40 seconds, but I managed maybe 25 seconds.

Day 3: I watched a lot of Chloe Ting Challenge Results videos on YouTube after the workout. It occurred to me that I should take body measurements, too, to track my results.

Day 4: Same video as Day 2, but I managed almost to make it through the full 40 seconds.

Day 5: This day was hard. I didn’t want to work out, but then I imagined how I wanted to look on my wedding day and pushed myself.

Day 6: Double workout! I did the Chloe Ting abs video and went to the gym for a 30-minute kickboxing session.

Day 7: Today is day seven, and thankfully it is a rest day. I’m feeling the exhaustion in my muscles, but I can also feel my abs getting harder.

In addition to the workouts, I’ve been eating much healthier. All the research says diet is the most crucial part of being in shape. I’ve incorporated more fruits and vegetables into my diet and reduced my carbohydrate intake (hard to do for a pasta lover). Instead of a high-carb breakfast, I’ve been consuming smoothies high in protein, vitamins, and minerals.

I’ve also increased my water intake. My goal is to reach one gallon per day. So far, I’ve gotten to 112 ounces per day, so I’m almost there.

My goal with this challenge isn’t to lose weight but to create a lifelong exercise routine. I’ve been getting up at 6:30 a.m. each day to start the morning by working out. Chloe Ting’s workouts are short, and she uses fun music in her videos.

After I finish this challenge, I will probably do another one of her workout programs. I want an early morning workout to become part of who I am.

The only way to become physically fit and stay fit throughout your life is to make working out and healthy eating part of your lifestyle. Fad diets and internet workout challenges are only temporary. Create healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

Written by Patricia Dillon