Womens_Health_USA_JulyAugust_2017

FITNESS BONUS
EMBRACE THE
STRUGGLE
DARCEY WION
AGE: 30
HOMETOWN: COLUMBUS, OH
MY WHY
Health is a privilege, not a given.
I’d always been active, but in
college, I put on some weight
that I wanted to lose. I kicked up
the intensity of my workouts
so much that when fatigue set in
at age 23, I attributed it to my
routine. That is, until I blacked out
in a cycling class. When I finally
saw a doctor, the news shocked
me: I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
an immune-system cancer.
I fought hard to get healthy, but
I had to learn how to be patient
with my body. I know how it feels
to battle mental and physical
hurdles that are out of your
control. It’s what inspired me to
become a trainer. Working out is
about enduring discomfort. I fully
believe that if you can survive
the struggle in the gym, you’ll be
stronger outside of it too.
MY TRAINING M.O.
I teach classes live and online—
for digital subscribers—at a
studio called System of Strength,
which offers a ton of different
class styles. The workouts vary
from cardio to strength training
to stretching, or all three.
MY TAKEAWAY TIPS
Be proud of the now. Push out
of your comfort zone, but not
at the risk of beating yourself up.
Think, I can do 10 frog jumps
versus I can’t do 20. If each week
you can add only one more
rep, that’s worth celebrating too.
Strike a balance. Having been
both sick and healthy, I know how
easy it can be to fall into extremes
with diet and exercise. But
you need to embrace downtime.
I take at least one rest day per
week so my muscles can rebuild.
Blend your burn. Switch between
loaded and body-weight
exercises. Try a dumbbell squat
to overhead press straight into
skater jumps. The body-weight
move will feel easier, so you can
push harder and burn more cals.
LUKKA LUX SPORTS BRA, FABLETICS LEGGINGS, NIKE SNEAKERS
10 WOMENSHEALTHMAG.COM / July/August 2017