Frieda Schweky
Spring has sprung and I have a pep in my step. Do I credit that to the sun finally shining, or my ability to leave the house without a ski mask? Possibly. But honestly, I think the real reason is that I spent all winter going to the gym two to four times a week and lifting heavy weights – and it shows. Not just physically, but mentally, too. For the first time since I was a child, I don’t feel the need to take stimulants to manage my ADHD, and I really think I have working out to thank for that.
Here’s the thing about exercise that doesn’t get talked about enough: it’s not just about how you look. Consistently moving your body has real, measurable benefits that kick in almost immediately. In the short term, even a single workout can boost your mood, sharpen your focus, and reduce stress thanks to a flood of endorphins. Long term, regular physical activity lowers your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, strengthens your bones and joints, improves sleep quality, and has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety and depression.
When I’m on my game, I find it hard to imagine people who think physical exertion just isn’t for them. And I get it, I really do, because I used to be one of those people.
I was a full-on couch potato when I was younger. Then, one day my friend Jeanette invited me to a kickboxing class. Thinking nothing of it, I tagged along. And I was shocked to discover it was actually fun. I signed up for a membership and started working out for the first time in my life. Am I still into kickboxing? No. But that class lit a bulb in my head that’s never gone out. Working out can be enjoyable if you just find what’s right for you.
Over the years I went through plenty of phases – yoga, Orangetheory [a fitness program that combines full-body strength training with heart-pumping cardio], I even tried spin because my dad has been obsessed with spinning my whole life and still is (it was not for me, sorry Dad). These days my thing is CrossFit. I love lifting heavy weights. It’s satisfying in a way that’s hard to explain, and it’s pretty cool that I’m essentially learning an Olympic sport in the process. Plus, I can carry all my groceries in one trip, which might be the greatest practical benefit of all.
Through all those phases I figured out two things. One: you have to love what you do, or you will quit. Two: you need to give something at least a month of consistent effort before you decide whether it’s for you. Your body needs time to adjust. Once the initial soreness fades and you stop dreading it, that’s when you can actually tell if something clicks for you.
I wanted to inspire other members of our community to get moving, so I asked my Instagram followers what they enjoy doing for exercise. Here’s what they had to say.
Natalie Habaz
Natalie has always been active, but her relationship with movement has evolved beautifully over the decades. She started dance training at 16, doing intensives at Broadway Dance Center through her twenties, then shifted to cardio and light weights, then yoga and weights as she got older. Today she teaches dance, choreography, and restorative somatic work, focused on nervous system regulation. And she still takes choreography classes herself.
“The benefits I focus on are more mental than physical – pushing through limits, resilience techniques and regulation. I think the way to look at consistency is: baby steps into often steps into consistency, which then just becomes routine. Also, work out for the feeling it gives you – empowerment, not looks.”
Violet Bernknopf
Violet found her groove with reformer Pilates – five days a week for the past few years, at 5:30am.
“I sneak out and I’m back before my kids even miss me! It keeps me sane. It’s my version of self-care.”
Violet has a bad back with herniated discs, so the low-impact nature of Pilates was a major draw, but the results have been anything but low-impact: toning, strength, and flexibility all over. Her tip? Go early. First she tried nights, but between the kids and general exhaustion, it wasn’t sticking. Now it’s just her routine – and she genuinely misses it when she can’t go.
Melissa Mora
Melissa loves yoga, and she’s the first to admit she came into it as a skeptic.
“In the beginning I kind of mocked it and didn’t think it would help me or even be considered exercise. And then I saw it transform my life.”
Melissa says yoga tones her more than free weights ever did, while simultaneously de-stressing and energizing her.
“It [yoga] forces optimal breathing, resilience, flexibility, and positivity. But most importantly it fosters grace within yourself. I can’t think of any other exercise, activity, or sport that does ALL of that.”
Jacklyn Gabbay
Jacklyn doesn’t follow a set routine – she follows her gut.
“I go based off my mood,” she says. When she wants something grounding and a little challenging, she goes for a hike, which is good for her mind, body, and soul. And it gives her some time to talk to Hashem. When she wants high energy, she does dance cardio. When she wants to slow down and get out of her head, she turns to yoga. And sometimes, like during the two week Pesach break, she mixes it up entirely – dance one day, aerial yoga the next (yes, aerial yoga, where you can do flips in the air, which sounds like an absolute blast).
But Jacklyn’s fitness journey didn’t start from a place of fun. It started from a place of pain. Around 2020, her close friend was diagnosed with cancer, and Jacklyn was devastated. She was so distraught she couldn’t even eat. She needed somewhere to put all of that emotion, so she threw herself into physical activity, starting with weight training.
“Instead of being depressed on the couch, I found this beneficial outlet. I felt more connected to my body.” Jacklyn began losing weight without even realizing it, because she wasn’t focused on her appearance, she was focused on taking charge of her life. And that shift turned out to be more important than she knew, because it was around this time that she discovered she was dealing with a health issue herself.
So, what’s the takeaway?
Movement looks different for everyone. It can be hikes and heavy lifts, reformer Pilates early in the morning, or aerial yoga on a whim. It’s kickboxing classes you stumble into and yoga practices you initially roll your eyes at. It’s dancing since you were two years old and weight training through one of the hardest seasons of your life. There is no single right answer – just the one that works for you.
What all of these women have in common isn’t a specific workout or a perfect schedule. It’s that they found something that made them feel good, and they kept showing up. Some days that means discipline, and some days that’s just listening to your body and doing what it needs. Both are valid.
If you’ve been on the fence about getting moving, let this be your nudge. You don’t have to love it on day one. Give it a month. Try the weird class your friend invites you to. Go for the hike. Sign up for the thing that intimidates you a little. The shift for your mind, your body, and your whole life might surprise you.
And if all else fails – at the very least, you’ll be able to carry all your groceries in one trip. Trust me, it’s worth it!
Signing off until next time,
Frieda Schweky!
Frieda is an event and portrait photographer. Check Frieda out on Instagram @friedaschwekyphoto. For photography inquiries or article topic suggestions email her at friedaschweky@gmail.com.