I got my Stealth at the end of July and have been planking every day since July 31. I love this thing! I had seen ads for it and thought about it; it looked fun, it looked legitimate, and then a colleague of mine got it and convinced me I needed it, too. I’m so glad he did!
I have been fairly athletic since before I had my children. I am a runner – I have run 3 marathons and many half-marathons. But I haven’t been in actual training for several years, so I certainly wasn’t in runner shape anymore. I also ride horses on an equestrian drill team. A strong core definitely helps with horseback-riding!
My entire life, I’ve been skinny. I can’t gain wait, I can’t bulk, and because I can’t bulk, sticking with any strength training never really happened. I lifted pretty religiously for about 4 or 5 months, but it was time-consuming, there were little visual results (though I certainly got stronger), and I really just didn’t love it. Running is something I really like and is easy for me to stick with, even on days when I really don’t feel like it; since getting my Stealth, I’ve been much better about getting out the door and running more regularly. My goal has been to get my pre-baby (or in-training) runner’s abs back (or better!), but that’s not going to happen from running alone.
Core strength is something I’ve pretty much always had to an extent. I’m the flute professor at a university in East Texas, and playing flute uses a lot of core. I believe that having a stronger core helps with a creating better sound, air support, and breath control. Every year, I lead a core class during one studio class for my students; it’s a fun hour where everyone just does the best they can, and the next day, they really feel the muscles they actually use when playing flute. Students look forward to it, and alumni reminisce about it (some more fondly than others!). I think at this point, I am older than all of my students’ parents, and my Stealthing will continue my tradition of making those youngers try to keep up with their old teacher!
Shortly before I started Stealthing, I did a plank challenge with some friends, the end goal of which was a 5-minute plank. I joined late, and started somewhere in the middle, because the starting days were too easy. And then I would skip days here and there, and one day, I just decided to do the 5-minute plank already because I didn’t know what day in the chart I was on anyway. So that was fairly easily doable, but like everyone else says, it’s just not that interesting (as was evidenced by my lax commitment to sticking with the daily schedule). With Stealth, it is so easy to stick with it; the games are fun, the exercises away from the games are fun, and I am determined to keep my streak, so even if some days are not as long as others, I am going to Stealth every day.
I’ve always liked healthy foods, so diet has never been a big issue for me. But having two C-sections with my kids in my 30s, and just the daily grind of life, will take their toll on anyone. Having found Stealth Nation has been such a great experience!! This is the most supportive group I think I’ve ever seen. My entire life – even as a now middle-aged woman – I have been skinny-shamed, and I was just as hesitant as everyone else to post my first pics. My goal obviously is never to lose weight, but to gain strength, definition, and feel strong. Stealth Nation supports everyone – I have only seen people cheering one-another one, praising progress, encouraging those who need it, being inspired by others’ work and progress – it’s really pretty incredible!
My children (now 12 and 9) are also very physically active, and I plan to keep up with them for a long time! I hope I can set the example for them to take care of your body (which also helps the mind and spirit!), embrace what you look like, be active, and especially for my daughter to have a healthy body image and feel strong.
Happy Stealthing, everyone! You’re all amazing!
-Christina Guenther (almost-45), Stealth Day 64, Texas