As a busy mother of three children with a husband who served in the military, like many mothers, Ingrid Herrera-Yee of Ashburn often finds that it is difficult to prioritize her own health and fitness needs.
Last year, Herrera-Yee, 54, said she had high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels and was on the obese side of the body mass indicator (BMI) chart.
“I was stressed out and did not feel well,” she said. “I had a host of health problems and, for me, I was always unhappy. I tried to exercise in stops and starts but never found the right fit for me.”
Herrera-Yee, who has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, said she knew she needed to get healthy again after a health scare put her in the hospital where she had emergency gallbladder surgery.
“I needed to pay attention to myself and not put myself last on the list,” she said. “That surgery was a wakeup call.”
Her husband joined OAK Health Club in Ashburn and told her he thought she would like it too, so she decided to give it a try.
While taking the first step was difficult, she immediately felt comfortable in the gym and began her journey toward a new, healthy lifestyle.
“I was overweight and at the gym you often feel like you don’t belong there. You almost feel embarrassed. I never felt that was and received a lot of support,” she said. “This is like a home and it helped motivate me to continue a journey. The program is incredible,” she said.
On day one, she met with a nutrition specialist who helped identify what she should be eating every day. They took body measurements and calculated how much water she should be drinking. She now knows about carbs and proteins and how to cook so she can make healthier food choices.
She started taking classes using weights, and was worried that she would “bulk up,” but found it was actually a “game-changer.”
“None of that happened,” Herrera-Yee said. “Because I have been doing strength training and a fusion class, I was able to train to run. Before, I couldn’t make it more than a mile. I started training on the days I wasn’t in class and would run on the treadmill. I went from 20-minute mile to 16-minute mile to a 14-minute mile and kept going. The week before the Marine
