I’m working to coax myself out of my comfort zone on the regular these days. From expanding my creativity in new writing projects and a pottery class (starting next week!), to mixing things up physically with new fitness challenges like a weighted bar class and full on barre workouts, my mind and body have been craving something new.

Enter Kayla Itsines. The gorgeous Aussie has been popping up on my radar for a while with her workout and nutrition guide, and I finally took the plunge. I’m ready to shake (more like jump) up my routine and challenge my body. While the process of gaining back strength has been a long haul, I finally feel like I’m at a place where I’m physically able to perform the way my body is designed to. I don’t want to take it for granted. I will always love and continue to practice yoga, to ride my bike, and walk as often as I can. Now, I’m venturing into the world of burpees, commandos and sumo squats – and going back to my roots with jump roping!

I’m already impressed by Kayla’s program – and I was hesitant. She is right on in her nutrition beliefs; it’s about fueling your body and savoring whole, real food. And plenty of it. No food groups are off limits, no restricting. I’m working toward a healthy balance, and the fact that her suggestions support that was a positive sign.

Kevin supported me through the first circuit, correcting my form and giving me encouragement. It’s doable, but it’s not easy. 28 minutes is plenty of time to sweat and get your heart rate up – but then you’re done. It’s not about overworking your body. It’s about shorter, more effective movement – something that I’m honestly clueless about. For so long, I thought excessive cardio was the way to go. I would wander around the equipment picking machines at random, but not really knowing what to do with them. It’s hard for me to ask for help, but I realized that I needed guidance. And this feels like a good compromise!

I am grateful for my body. I am so grateful that it continues to function and perform and take care of me in spite of the times I didn’t take very good care of it. Though I’m still young and realize I’m not overweight, there is always room for improvement and maintenance. I want to challenge myself to be my best. I’m finally done comparing – it’s about being comfortable In my own skin. I don’t realistically expect physical results for about 8 weeks. But the result I feel today, from daring to begin, already feels amazing.

And I guarantee I’ll feel it in my glutes later, too.