"I felt like I had fallen so far behind where I used to be that I couldn't get 'back on the horse,'" says Brigitte Cerwick Davis, a 45-year-old from Dallas, reflecting on her fitness funk. Like many moms, she made raising her daughter, Mackenzie (now 17), her top priority, but in doing so, she stopped working out, which shook her confidence and happiness. Brigitte was ready for a serious comeback.
For most of her adult life, Brigitte owned a treadmill—and actually used it. She even ran an occasional 5K race and took challenging boot camp classes. But 2011 brought the first of many life changes that zapped her physical and emotional energy, turning exercise from a regular habit into just another stressful item on her to-do list.
First, she got a promising new job offer at an electricity company in the Dallas area, so she and Mackenzie made the move from their longtime home in Chicago. "My treadmill wouldn't fit in our new apartment, so I left it behind," she says. Not that it would have gotten much use. Within the first two weeks of arriving, Brigitte was working 11-hour days. "With no time to shop or cook, I went from making meals to picking up burrito bowls with cheese, sour cream and guacamole on my way home. We'd eat late and go right to bed."
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Over the next few years, as Brigitte and her daughter built a new life in Texas, the stress took its toll. "I completely lost my motivation to exercise," Brigitte says. "I knew I'd feel better if I worked out, but I couldn't get myself to do it. I was too tired in the morning. And any free time I had, I wanted to spend it with Mackenzie."
Then, in November 2014, a routine mammogram showed a mass in her left breast. Thankfully, the lumpectomy revealed it was stage 0, and she didn't need chemo or radiation. But the experience shocked her back into focusing on her health. Finding herself squarely in her mid-40s was a wakeup call, too. "Weight was settling in all the wrong places, and I'd completely lost my muscle tone. I used to be proud of my fit arms, but those were long gone."
Finding her fire again
Woman's Day matched Brigitte with Brit Rettig, a certified group fitness instructor in Dallas. Rather than guide Brigitte back toward her rigorous boot camp workouts, Rettig designed a plan that Brigitte could easily integrate into her current lifestyle. The routine focused on a combination of strength training to build lean muscle mass and interval walks to increase her heart rate.
At their first meeting, Brigitte was crushed when she couldn't eke out a single push-up—"that was my all-time fitness low," she says. "But even though I felt defeated, it was a step forward because I was certain I didn't want to be in that spot anymore." After two weeks on the plan, Brigitte's clothing fit the same, but she felt more energized, confident and better able to handle work stress. "When I exercised in the morning, I'd arrive at the office with mental clarity. I felt sharper."
Every few weeks, Rettig introduced new moves so Brigitte was engaged and challenged. Within a month, she replaced her 5- and 8-pound weights with 10s. "I started to see more definition in my arms and felt my tummy tightening up."
Brigitte made some upgrades in the eating department, too. After her morning workout, she refuels with a banana and a protein shake (before, she'd either skip breakfast or get a vanilla latte and reduced-fat coffee cake). Lunch is grilled chicken, veggies and nonfat cottage cheese. For dinner, she replaced fast food with salads that she preps on Sunday. "I throw lettuce, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, colorful peppers and nuts in a plastic container, and put some cooked chicken breasts in another. Each night, I scoop out my dinner," says Brigitte.
A surprise perk
Although Brigitte and Mackenzie are close, the duo never exercised together. But when Mackenzie, who has always preferred concerts and books over sports, heard that her mom was starting a new fitness routine, it triggered a mini-epiphany. "I'm a camp counselor and I wanted to be in better shape for the summer," she says. "I start college in the fall, and I figured it would be smart to learn healthy habits that would stick."
The pair now walks 3.5 miles together outside, rain or shine, nearly every day. They also crank out squats and planks in their garage, breaking for brisk walks or runs around the block.
After a month, Brigitte lost 5 pounds and is now up to 20 push-ups. As a reward, she treated herself to some pretty new workout gear. With Mackenzie's departure for college looming, Brigitte is thankful for the "amazing bonding experience" from the workout sessions and she's filled with hope for a healthy future. "I'm a big believer in the saying, 'If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.' I'm doing something new, and in return, I'm getting stronger, I feel incredible and I'm keeping myself healthier, both for Mackenzie and for myself. There is no going back."
STEAL BRIGITTE'S SUCCESS SECRETS
1. Set goals with your loved ones "I got Mackenzie a Fitbit as a birthday gift and I have a tracker as well. Every day we pick a number of steps we want to hit, then try to reach it—together."
2. Find fitness gear that makes you feel good "My favorite line of workout clothes is Calia by Carrie Underwood. The clothes are stylish—I love the straps and backs of the tank tops. They wash well, too, and the tops run longer so they don't ride up."
3. Don't skimp on stretching "I stretch my hamstrings, glutes and triceps after my workout. I feel better after, and it motivates me because I see real progress. As I grow more flexible, I can reach farther."
FREE FITNESS IDEAS
Can't afford a personal trainer? No problem. Check out fitnessblender.com or youtube.com/befit for routines. Pick one upper body workout, one lower body and one total body, and you're set for the week.
STRENGTH-TRAIN TO SLIM DOWN
"When you lift weights, you create tiny tears in your muscles," says trainer Rettig. "As blood and cells rush in to repair them, lean muscle mass is created." Bonus: That repair process takes energy, meaning your body burns more calories, even at rest. "You don't have to hoist 50-pound dumbbells—just choose a weight heavy enough to make your muscles tired by 15 reps."
