(This post is sponsored by Curves® International.)

A few weeks ago, I wrote about embarking on a journey to improve my physical health. Specifically, I was asked to work out at my local Curves franchise for a month and share my experience with others. At first I was like, really? I just wasn’t sure if I would like it or not. I mean, what do you imagine when you think of Curves? I always imagined old women moving at a slow pace.

One thing about early recovery is that I find myself being surprisingly open-minded when it comes to doing things that I previously would not be caught dead doing. I spent a lot of years in a state of avoidance — some of which was simply due to being in survival mode, some because of fear — and I’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities. 7 months into sobriety, I’ve found myself saying “yes” a lot more to things I never would have agreed to, and “no” to things I previously would have jumped on.

Agreeing to work out for a month in an unfamiliar establishment is one of those things that old me never would have agreed to, but thankfully, that girl is long gone. The 30 minutes I spent, several days a week, inside Curves was … hmmm, let’s see. How can I describe it?

It was an ADVENTURE.

Photo credit: Megan

I had my body fat, weight, and measurements recorded before I started my journey, and then again several weeks later. I was shocked to find that I lost several pounds and my body fat percentage went down, just in that short period of regular strength training. (Disclaimer: Curves Fitness members on average lose 5 pounds over a 20-week period. I received promotional consideration.)

My friend Megan and I loved meeting there twice a week and blasting through our workout together — it’s so short, that the time flew by. I got stronger quickly and noticed a major improvement in my mood and energy level throughout the day. I’ve been feeling like strength training is something I needed to start doing, but I didn’t really know where to begin. It was nice to have a coach to guide me, and the way Curves is set up, it’s almost impossible to injure yourself. It also helped kick-start my weight loss, and working out with such a positive group of women was inspiring and challenging.

I won’t join Curves permanently, because we have a family membership at our neighborhood athletic club, but I really enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to any stressed-out, frazzled mom who has 30 minutes a day to devote to herself.

(This post was sponsored by Curves International, but the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Also, if you liked this post, then you should follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!)