How Fitness Helped Heal My Broken Heart
For a long time, I thought healing meant forgetting what had hurt me. I wanted to move past the infertility, the pregnancy loss, my mother’s death, and the years of disappointment that followed. But I realized healing wasn’t about forgetting—it was about learning to live with what happened and deciding what my life would look like going forward. For me, fitness became part of that process.
My Heart Was Carrying Years of Pain
My journey with infertility began in 2015. I was told I would not conceive naturally, so I pursued IVF—numerous procedures, surgeries, and hormone treatments, at a physical, emotional, and financial cost. Every new procedure brought hope; every disappointment brought grief.
In 2019, I became pregnant through IVF—a girl, due in January 2020—and I finally felt like motherhood might become real. At nine weeks, I learned there was no heartbeat. I lost my baby, and that loss changed me.
Grief Was Already Part of My Story
My pregnancy loss was not the only loss I was processing. In 2017, I lost my mother to heart disease. Losing her while already struggling with infertility left me feeling deeply alone, and grief, anxiety, and exhaustion began to shape how I saw myself and my future.
I continued IVF for another three years, still hoping. Eventually I reached a point where something had to change—not because the past could be changed, but because I still had a life in front of me.
The Decision to Start Again
On November 27, 2022, I decided to take my life back. I worked with a dietitian, learning about nutrition, mindset, and my relationship with food, and completed a 28-day medically monitored detox. This wasn’t about a quick fix—it was about beginning again.
In January 2023, I joined EOS Fitness and worked with a personal trainer once a week for four months. There were days I didn’t want to go, but I kept showing up. I was learning that self-care didn’t require feeling motivated every day—sometimes it just required keeping the commitment I’d made to myself.
Finding Something I Enjoyed
In May 2023, I discovered Aquabike. It was different, and I found myself enjoying it. I attended classes three to four times a week alongside my nutrition plan. After 90 days, I had dropped two clothing sizes—but the changes I valued most weren’t only physical. I noticed shifts in my mood, sleep, and energy, and built connections with people around me, becoming part of what we called the “gym squad.” Fitness gave me somewhere to show up, something to work toward, and a community.
Fitness Did Not Erase My Grief
Exercise did not erase my infertility, change what happened to my baby, bring my mother back, or make the difficult years disappear. But fitness became part of how I started taking care of myself again—a routine when so much of my life felt uncertain, and a way to focus on the present instead of what I couldn’t change. Through Aquabike, I found a community that made the journey feel less lonely.
From Participant to Instructor
My journey took me somewhere I never expected. I kept working toward my goals, explored other classes, and became more involved in the community. About six months after discovering Aquabike, I became a fitness instructor and earned my certification. I had started simply trying to find a way forward—I never expected to become the person leading a class. Sometimes a new chapter begins with a very small decision: you simply decide to show up.
My Heart Is Still Part of My Story
My journey has taught me that healing isn’t always a straight line. There are still difficult days, memories that hurt, and things I wish had happened differently. But I no longer believe my hardest experiences have to determine what comes next.
On November 27, 2022, I weighed 195 pounds. On November 27, 2025, I weighed 125 pounds—a 70-pound difference. But that isn’t the whole story. The bigger change was learning I could take care of myself again: consistency, discipline, and how important community can be. Moving forward doesn’t mean leaving the past behind—sometimes it means carrying your story with you while creating something new.
Fitness became part of my healing journey. Aquabike became part of my story. And somewhere along the way, I found a new sense of purpose.
If you are looking for a new way to make movement part of your journey, explore Aquatics Fitness and discover how aquatic fitness, consistency, and community can become part of your routine.
