About six months ago, I created a fitness Instagram account to share free workouts and fitness advice with followers. I’m a certified group fitness instructor and figured it would help increase interest in my virtual classes and offer some at-home workout inspiration for those feeling stuck.

As part of this Instagram, I’ve been sharing daily Stories, which often include overviews of my runs. I share stats like distance and pace, and highlight whether I included any interval training during my workout.

The problem is, I cringe when sharing my speed from time to time. I feel like a phony for…

I’ve been feeling more than a little overwhelmed lately. I know I’m not alone. We almost have a full year of pandemic living under our belts, and it hasn’t gotten any easier with the all-consuming darkness and cold of a New England winter making me a ghostly shut in.

My anxiety has been coming in waves, with some crashing over me far more violently than ever before. I’ll be going about my day as I normally do until I’ll feel a tightening in my chest, warning me that I’m about to be swept away. …

My boyfriend Greg drove me to the front of the fitness studio and my stomach flipped upside down. My notes sat in my lap, staring up at me, and my whole body jittered as if I’d already had three venti cold brews, even though I’d skipped the coffee that morning. Greg gave me a hug from across the center console and wished me luck. It was time.

I’d recently gotten certified as a Group Fitness Instructor (by ACE, if you’re looking into doing the same thing) and had sent my remarkably sparse resume to gyms and studios in the Boston…

This morning, I woke up at 5:45 am and waddled to the closet to put on my running clothes. It was 19 degrees outside, so I wriggled on layer after layer, becoming almost as puffy as the bags under my eyes. As I was doing my early morning dance/war with my clothes, I noticed a murmur of soreness radiating from my hamstrings.

Oh god, I thought. Am I going to have to call it a day already? After all of that??

I finished getting dressed and moved to my living room to warm up and hopefully loosen up my muscles…

When I was in elementary school, my legs didn’t look like the legs of other girls my age. My knees were soft and adorned with extra flesh, and the skin around my hips smiled when I sat. My young friends had sharp angles and lacked the chafe marks that I had become familiar with.

I saw my difference then, but didn’t know it was something I should hate until I got a little older.

I was in seventh grade, flirting with my crush at my locker — a middle schooler’s dream! — before we headed off to our next class…

I’ve seen it time and time again: The world is falling apart, and fitness influencers are telling me what they ate for breakfast.

The most recent example happened last week, as rioters stormed the US Capitol, threatening our democracy and disgracing our country. My eyes were glued to any screen I could get a hold of to get as much information as possible and to see how everyone was reacting. And, I’ll admit, to doomscroll.

I have two Instagram accounts: One for my friends and personal life and another to grow a following for my group fitness classes. …

When I first became serious about running — as in, I wanted to run consistently instead of working in a walk-jog once a fiscal quarter — I thought I just needed to run every day to get better at the sport. That is, until I looked into why my knees and shins felt inflamed during every run and realized that I was on the path to injury.

I seriously needed to cross-train to combat the joint pain. According to Runner’s World, “cross-training should improve your cardio, strengthen your muscles, or help speed your recovery.” Sign me up!

Cross-training has not…

On Christmas Eve, I set out with the intention of running seven miles. It was an unseasonably warm 50 degrees out, so I was eager to hit the road and get a longer run in before the impending snowstorm swept in on Christmas day.

I was decked out in my best running gear: a quarter zip I got at the NYC Marathon Expo to remind myself that I’m a badass, my favorite lululemon leggings that always stay put, and my nice Nike sneakers that make me feel like I’m flying. …