“It's better to do something small than do nothing at all.” – Lisa’s story

Lisa thought her active days were a thing of her past – until she took on the Freeletics Transformation Challenge to help push her limits. Along the way, she regained fitness, learned to love exercise again, and proved that consistency and discipline pay off. And her results are jaw-dropping. Here’s her story:

“Before joining the Freeletics Transformation Challenge, I was always on the move. I loved working out and doing all kinds of sports: swimming, gymnastics, handball, basketball, badminton, volleyball – you name it. Growing up, I spent my time mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, and I competed in all kinds of school sports competitions.

But everything changed during the pandemic. First, I tore my leg muscle, and shortly after, my right glute. Months of rest followed. Then, when my first full-time job started, I was too tired to do anything. I still liked sports, but I could feel my fitness dropping significantly.

My eating habits were also inconsistent. I tried to eat healthy, but most of the time I forgot to eat due to stress, or ate a quick pasta instead.

Overall, the previous year, I was under an enormous amount of pressure. I was finishing my bachelor’s degree while juggling health issues and trying to do my best at my new job as a working student. It left me drained and overwhelmed, with little energy for fitness.”

”My goals for the Transformation Challenge were simple, but meaningful. I wanted to get fit again and see some visible muscle definition. I wanted to fit into my dirndl again and also be able to do some (1?) Pullups.

But most importantly, I really wanted to rebuild my confidence. I wanted to establish a routine, have more energy throughout the day, and become stronger and fitter week by week.

I was excited. I really wanted to change and create a new lifestyle. I also loved that I would not be alone in this; training with others is always fun!”

“Halfway through the challenge, my perspective on workouts had completely changed. Initially, they felt like something I had to do. Now, they are something I look forward to. And I have become more active overall by adding in small activities like taking the bike or walking longer distances.

Of course, on some days my motivation is higher than others, but it feels great to finish a workout that initially I didn’t feel like starting.

Physically, I lost a lot of weight and fit into my old clothes again, which is great (though some were now too big, which is bittersweet!). One of the greatest changes for me is my increase in strength: I went from barely hanging on the Pullup bar for more than five seconds to doing Assisted and Jumping Pullups.

It feels really empowering, but also even the small changes – like not being completely exhausted after climbing 4 flights of stairs – feel incredible.

Mentally, I still experience my lows, and that is okay; it's life. Working out and being more fit is not the magic solution for everything.”

“In the beginning, I was afraid of not being able to keep up and slacking off halfway through. But over time, I realized that this fear was only in my head. I had already completed 10 weeks of the Transformation Challenge without even the thought of stopping or cheating.

Sticking to routines has always been difficult for me, but completing this challenge taught me how to overcome my fear of giving up again. Fitness has become a part of my everyday life again.

With the help of the trainers and group workouts, I learned not to be so hard on myself when I have a bad day. It's better to do something small than do nothing at all.

I noticed how much more I was moving during the week, not only because of the workouts, but also by choosing to walk or bike small distances or joining friends for workouts or sports.

 At the halfway point, I was still afraid of the point where I would stop working out or start eating badly again. However, I realized that this fear was only in my head and that I had already completed 10 weeks without the thought of stopping or cheating.”

“I reached the goal I set for myself. I wanted to be fit again and not see working out as a chore. Now that I’ve achieved those, I have a great starting point to reach other fitness goals like finally being able to do a Strict Pullup without any help, or developing some visible abs, maybe.

My perspective on fitness has changed; these goals are fun projects now.

Other benefits that surprised me – I noticed that my PMS symptoms are almost completely gone. In the past, when I got really emotional and had a short fuse, it was a clear indicator for me that my period was going to start soon. Now, my mood is much more stable.

Would I do anything differently? Not really. There are some small lessons you learn along the way, but this is all part of the journey. Fitness has become part of my day-to-day life, but I'm also looking forward to being more socially flexible and spontaneous without always needing to meal prep first. I will definitely miss the team trainings though, they were always very fun!

To realize that I did something great feels amazing.”

“Give yourself a break from time to time, too; you’re not a machine. But if you trust in yourself and give it your all, it will be all worth it in the end.”