Who: Abby B., 38, Chicago; leader of patient access at Rush University Medical Center and owner of a small floral design studio tells her fitness journey.
Obé-ing since: April 1, 2020
How did you start your fitness journey with obé?
I would see Katie Lee and Hilary Rhoda post their obé workouts on Instagram and I thought they looked super fun. Prior to joining, I had a gym membership that I paid for monthly and literally, never once walked in. The thought of working out in front of people was super intimidating to me, so the online platform was extremely appealing.
During the pandemic, my team at work was directly supporting our COVID task force. When things started to get really bad, I was sitting at work one day and just felt this overwhelming need to get some pent up energy/anxiety out. I went home, signed up for the free one-week trial and told myself that if I worked out every day that week, I would gift myself the annual membership. One class in and I was hooked!
#LevelUp to an Annual Membership today on your member profile!
How has your life changed since starting obé?
I’m not kidding when I say my fitness journey with obé has literally changed my life. Coming out of a divorce, I had really poor self-esteem, formed some unhealthy habits, and was not working out at all. In the past year with obé, I feel like I’ve found myself again. I have developed self-confidence, I’m at peace with who I am, and I know my self-worth. I look forward to moving my body and make sure that I schedule time out for myself every single day.
Plus, I’ve lost around 50 inches in the last year, and my endurance has changed immensely. I entered the obé world with the fitness level of what felt like a newborn, so I was nervous about being able to keep up with the instructors. That’s the beauty of obé—there are classes for everyone and the instructors are fantastic about showing modifications to meet you where you are. Initially I struggled to get through a 28-minute low impact dance class. Now, I’m doing at least 60 minutes combining sculpt/cardio and power/strength or a full Vinyasa flow.
Fave instructors: Oh my gosh, I feel that’s like asking which one of my fur kids is my favorite! How do you choose?! Beth C. is my girl. She is just magical and her Sunday flows are like my “church.” Lulu S. is the same, super chill and grounding. Mary W. is everyone’s cheerleader, she has the BEST energy. Madelaine O. is super supportive and always cheers me on. Spencer J. is new, but do not sleep on his classes. His energy and playlists make class fly by. Kathryn A. will always remind you throughout class how important it is that you showed up for you, and sometimes you just need to hear that.
Fave classes: I always make it a point to hit at least one sculpt, one Vinyasa flow and one upper/lower body power class a week. Being an annual member, I have access to mashup classes, which I LOVE. I also like stepping outside of my comfort zone and doing the programs. I finished the Yoga Deep Dive, I’m working my way through Sculpt, Burn, Repeat and then plan on doing Harder AF. Whenever I do the mashups and programs I find new class types that I end up loving, but had not tried yet.
Why do you obé?
I obé because I love the way I feel after I’ve finished a class. There is nothing like sweating out some stress, getting a shout out from your instructor during class and knowing you set aside that time to honor your body and mind.
Another huge reason is our obé fam. We are such a supportive, inclusive community and I feel like that is what sets us apart. I adore our instructors: They are super supportive and they enjoy communicating with us, offering advice, sharing modifications, and shouting out our wins. I feel like some have become true friends. Once you’ve joined the fam, you understand the obé magic and you will want to tell everyone you know about it!
Where do you do obé?
I obé mainly at home, in my living room. My dogs sit there and watch me sweat, wobble and sometimes look like a fool dancing, and from time to time join me on the mat. My best friends live in California, so we’ve done some Workout Parties together. I can’t wait to obé with them in Palm Beach this summer!
Abby’s pup Gunther likes to join her on the mat.
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