Melissa Wood Health: Workouts for the Mind AND Body
By Aliye Hargett
Growing up as a classically trained ballerina, I took for granted the built-in movement my classes provided me that made me feel beautiful, strong, and confident all at the same time. My classes not only kept me flexible and fit, but they also fed my mind with a sense of calm that no other amount of activity, reading, or listening to music could. When I began college and realized that my STEM major and extracurricular involvement would prevent me from fitting any kind of ballet class into my schedule, I searched for movement that would nourish my mind, body, and soul like ballet.
Freshman year was filled with 9:30 pm rendez-vous after rendez-vous with the elliptical resistance turned up all the way and Gossip Girl playing off my phone to try to ward off the boredom and monotony of the movement. It felt good to exercise and not be sitting in my desk chair for a part of my day, but I didn’t feel connected to my workout in any way. The elliptical, for me, did nothing to remedy my need for a workout that improved not only my physical health, but my mental health as well.
Once the summer after freshman year rolled around, I knew that I needed to WX the elliptical. I had been a follower of Kayla Itsines on Instagram for awhile, so I decided that I would finally try her 8-week HIIT program on her app Sweat. Sweat’s three, 28-minute HIIT workouts each week seemed well-rounded, with each one focusing on a different muscle group: arms and abs, lower body, or full body. The app has multiple Kayla programs on it, so after you finish one, you can continue with more of her workouts. In addition, Sweat appealed to me because the three planned workouts each week were something I could keep up with at school. When I first tried Kayla’s workouts, I felt that I had finally found a workout that matched the intensity and cardio from my ballet classes. I continued through the program, and afterwards I truly felt stronger and more confident, similar to ballet. I loved that she taught the proper way to lift weights, and it was so nice to get a really effective workout in under 30 minutes. However, I worried that the intensity of my workouts was taking a toll on my body and that my constantly sore, achy joints would add up to trouble for me in the long-term.
I continued with Sweat throughout my entire sophomore year, but when a multitude of factors left me feeling mentally exhausted and in need of a workout switch in the fall of 2020, I, like a true millennial, turned to Instagram once again. I decided to try Melissa Wood Health. I had followed Melissa on Instagram for about a year at this point, and I loved seeing her posts filled with her positive energy, adorable kids, amazing style, and of course, the clips of her workouts. Melissa is very open about her previous struggles with an eating disorder and exercise obsession. Because of this, her philosophy is focused on something everyone needs: self-love and self-growth through low-impact, but highly effective movement. Her program costs $99 for one year, and it comes with hundreds of videos organized by difficulty, muscle group, and amount of time. Her program comes in the form of an app or website, so you really can have her workouts anywhere; whether you opt for my favorite “10 Minute Sweet and Spicy Ab Burn” or the “31 Minute Anything But Basic Yoga and Pilates,” there is really something for everyone with any amount of free time.
When I first began Melissa’s workouts, I was enthralled by her infectious, positive energy and spot-on cues and corrections. I found that I finally looked forward to working out again, and I didn’t just see it as something I needed to do for my health. Her workouts are a mixture of yoga, pilates, and cardio, so I never feel like I am pushing myself too far in an unhealthy way. But trust me, even though her workouts are low-intensity, I promise you will feel a burn like no other workout. While I love the way Melissa’s workouts have toned my muscles, my favorite part about her program is the way it has transformed my philosophy on working out. She repeats, in each and every video, that any amount of movement each day, even just ten minutes, can have a huge impact on your life and mood. I can say wholeheartedly that Melissa is right. If you’re in a workout rut, or if you just want something else to add to your regular rotation, do yourself a favor and join Melissa Wood Health. I promise that your mind, your muscles, and your booty(!) will thank you.
