Or You Can Struggle Straight On

“There will be someone or something that will try to knock you down. But it’s up to you to do the work, train hard, and have a winner’s mindset. Are you ready to win?” The presenter pointed at the knee brace on her leg, and the crowd cheered. I’d liked that part of the track. Body Combat has always been a group fitness class that grounded me and allowed me to punch the shadows that clawed at my heartstrings. I was sitting in my map-print recliner, studying the choreography for my morning Combat class.

The phone rang.

It was my dad, giving me the gut-wrenching news about Mom.

Several weeks later, I kept teaching Combat two days a week. Before I knew it, a pain had crept in to my body. My foot hurt in all caps. The fire started in the right foot. Almost every step I took, shooting pains through the sole of my foot and up into my calf.

I shifted to teaching Step because jumping was too much. After doing even thirty minutes of Combat, I couldn’t walk.

My dad then had open-heart surgery; quadruple bypass. It was a month of hospital visits, hours of driving, hours of worry and stress. Hobbling through hospital hallways. Broken heart, broken stride.

I visited a podiatrist – plantar fasciitis confirmed. He gave me a steroid shot.

Pain then wormed its way into my other foot. And both elbows.

I had to quit teaching cardio. No jumping. No quick movement. It was too much.

It’s been about a year and a half since I was able to teach cardio.

A few months ago, I hit what felt like an actual wall while teaching a Body Pump class. Three tracks in, and we slid in to the back track with a line of clean-and-press moves, and I lost all the air in my lungs. Wasn’t sure I was going to make it through.

A little voice inside said, “Girl, you got to do something.”

Aaron, a teacher at the gym, taught a pop-up Body Combat class on a Tuesday morning. I was actually able to do the entire class. I didn’t jump much but I was able to kick and even do some burpees. Hooray.
Around April 2026, I decided to make a goal: try to do four tracks of Combat a day. I made it almost two weeks. Aaron started teaching that Tuesday class on a regular basis and being able to attend as just ‘somebody in class’ was nice. Sometimes you can lead, but sometimes you just need to be able to punch the shadows from inside the shadows.

There will be someone or something that will try to knock you down. But it’s up to you to do the work. Even when it hurts. Even when it burns. Even when it feels like you can’t take another step.

I’m truly grateful for Combat. It’s been there for me when my writing journey slid sideways, when the online gremlins hated, when the in-person gremlins shaded, and when everything felt like it was on fire. I’m glad for the gym. For the people who dig in. For the ones willing to experience the apocalypse and give you a fist bump in the middle.

Like the program director, Rachel, said in one masterclass, “We didn’t come this far to stay here…I couldn’t do this without you. It’s what we do in group fitness; we go deep. And we pull each other through. Ain’t no one drowning today…We got to that point in your workout and your life where it’s a little intimidating. It’s a crossroads. You can go right when there’s nothing left. And you can go left when there’s nothing left that’s right. Or you can struggle straight on, baby. Get that strength.”

Every step forward counts, especially when it hurts. Those pain-riddled steps might count the most.

Struggle straight on, baby. Let’s go.