Kirin Hart as told to Emily Shiffer

<p>When I think back and reflect on that period of my life, I realize I was also struggling with <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19927328/signs-of-postpartum-depression/" id="b29ec88e-12b0-3f05-a800-9564b46e2518">  postpartum depression </a> during that time, among other mental health issues. I just felt meh. Flat. I was sad. I was isolated from my friends and family and very lonely, in part because of my husbands work schedule. I was home with little kids a lot, and also totally sedentary. I felt like I was letting myself go physically and emotionally.</p>

<h1>  In 2010, when my daughter was 2 years old, people started congratulating me about being pregnant again-but I wasnt.  </h1>

<p>I was at a heavy weight for me personally (around 175 pounds). I was extremely self-conscious, and the pregnancy comment really made an impact on me. I expressed my frustration to my husband at the time, who suggested I join a gym. </p>

<p>I started going to the Retro Fitness location in my area and spent most workouts doing <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a26839980/halle-berry-favorite-low-impact-workout-instagram/" id="5a8810f8-be75-3477-acf4-52818d3dfb3a">  low-impact cardio </a> on the elliptical. When I went from doing nothing to doing something, I lost a bit of weight. I was down about 10 pounds, and it jump-started my process of getting back into shape.</p>

<p>A short time later, my husband and I hit our first major rough patch. I was unhappy and began spending more time at the gym, where-for the first time in ages-I felt like I was developing a social network that was my own, independent from him. </p>

<h1> A friend from the gym suggested I get into weight lifting as a way to relieve stress.  </h1>

<p>I hadnt done much <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/strength-training/a704005/myths-about-strength-training-and-weight-lifting-debunked/" id="e8af7cdd-e894-3fb0-a83e-e6ad2917c923">  weight lifting </a> since college and wasnt sure how to go about it. So I worked with a couple of personal trainers, quickly realizing how much I enjoyed it. I loved how strong I felt, and I really started to see my body change. I also felt so encouraged and motivated the more I developed genuine friendships at the gym.</p>

<p>In the summer of 2013, one of my girlfriends from the gym invited me to watch an amateur <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a28089365/90-day-fiance-bodybuilder-weight-loss/" id="b2c67991-d014-331c-a2a3-b91d5ecc52d1">  bodybuilding competition </a> . I think you can totally do this, I remember my pal telling me. I thought she was crazy, but I was kiiiind of interested. I started researching what these types of competitions entail and how to enter.</p>

<p>By the fall of 2013, I had competed in two amateur competitions. I came in fourth place in both, but I didnt do the prep work in a healthy way at all. I knew I wasnt eating enough on the very low-calorie, low-carb diet I followed. It consisted of eating six (unsatisfying) meals a day, while lifting and working out for hours on end, and also while I working full time and trying to be the best mother I could.</p>

<p>I competed at 117 pounds (a gust of wind could've blown me over...). Yet, I constantly felt fearful that I was overweight and saw every possible flaw that didnt exist. Deep down I knew that the lifestyle was hurting my mental health. </p>

<h1> At this point, I knew I had to look for something healthier to replace my bodybuilding obsession and to build me back up mentally. </h1>

<p>My husband suggested that I try obstacle-course racing. It was completely outside of my wheelhouse: I didnt like mud, being sweaty, being outdoors, or large crowds of people-all things that an obstacle course race is chock full of. I decided to try it anyway. </p>

<p>I signed up for my first Spartan race in the spring of 2014. And what do you know? I fell in love. I found races on Groupon and signed up for every event I came across. I brought my children to some of the races so they could do the kids competitions-they loved it! Over the course of a couple of seasons, I started getting to know more and more people, once again loving the feeling of being part of a community. </p>

<p>I competed in the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships (OCRWC) in 2015, where I was one of about 75 women from around the world to complete all of the obstacles in the allotted time period. I also competed at OCRWC again in 2016, which was my first international trip for a competition. </p>

<p>I adored the camaraderie and the obstacles. But the running? Not so much. By total luck, I learned about a pretty perfect alternative for me: ninja warrior classes offered a local obstacle gym. Score. I signed up for a series of classes and have stuck with it ever since. </p>

<h1>  Obstacle courses and ninja training also helped me learn to seriously appreciate my muscle.  </h1>

<p>Obstacle challenges completely changed my body. While <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19631432/anna-victoria-scales-instagram-post/" id="43f95e57-5799-300b-a6a7-6a9530780c67">  I dont weigh myself </a> , I know Im somewhere in the neighborhood of 140 pounds, and I feel great about that. Having muscle is the biggest change to my physique, and to be honest, it has taken years of consistent work to get to this point.</p>

<p>Sometimes when Im at the gym, people ask me how long I have been training or how often I work out to look like the way I do. I tell them that it has been a solid eight years, and looks of relief show up on their faces. It's a gradual process. I am not the result of any kind of shortcuts; no shakes <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a27534771/body-wraps-weight-loss/" id="59357581-7227-31cb-a8f3-c825633791ea">  or wraps </a> or <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a24514728/do-detox-teas-work/" id="708d525c-662b-3709-ad2d-789d31f9393e">  diet teas </a> . To be frank, I bust my ass-and Im proud of it.</p>

<p>I try to do some sort of activity at least five or six days a week. I might go rock climbing once or twice a week, do ninja obstacles a couple times, plus one aerial yoga class. On the sixth day of the week, I may just do cardio on the treadmill. I'm not super strict about my schedule or patterns, and I love that my workouts never feel like workouts because I have so much fun. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/By2d2wXg49x/" id="75279e5d-f7dd-3bc9-abd7-7c4b94a287b0">  View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/By2d2wXg49x/" id="b2a3e3c6-e235-3a51-a3b7-25f48316a882">  I was feeling super #inspired and #motivated after the #jam Saturday night. Decided to give some new stuff a try on the #pole. My very first #handspring, thanks to the patience and great coaching by @spiraling.mermaid, and a bonus #balance high up on the pole. #better. #movement #playtime #happy #bettereveryday #getstrongagain #ninjatraining #betterthanyesterday #anw #ocr #athlete #fitmom #momstrong #ninjawarrior #comeback #fitlife #aclrecovery. #happy #trainhappy #theobstacleistheway #americanninjawarrior #powerofpositivity #nyc </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kirinhartstrong1/" id="8a89d29e-0e99-37a5-a39c-8a72a417c016">  Kirin </a> (@kirinhartstrong1) on Jun 18, 2019 at 5:25am PDT</p>

<h1> As for food? Ive totally changed my diet over the years. </h1>

<p>My fitness routine has helped me eat more mindfully than before. I now eat intuitively-meaning when I notice my hunger cues. I also eat to *fuel* my body so I can do all of the activities I love with energy and safely, and I consume real food and mostly cook at home.</p>

<p>I dont restrict my calories or let myself feel hungry as a punishment, like I did when I was bodybuilding. I found that if you dont eat, youre cranky and miserable. The one good thing I did learn from my bodybuilding days, however, was that my body doesnt like dairy. I feel better without it, though I do miss cheese. This is what a day of eating looks like for me now:</p>

<ul><li> <strong> Breakfast: </strong>  Typically, I go for oatmeal, peanut butter toast, or eggs. Ill pair one of those with fruit, and coffee with almond milk. </li><li> <strong> Snack: </strong>  Fruit or veggies, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, or a cup of coffee with almond milk are my go-to snacks. (Sometimes there are treats on the table in the office, and if theyre homemade, Im down!) </li><li> <strong> Lunch: </strong>  My midday meal is usually leftovers from dinner, which involves some sort of protein and vegetable. Or, Ill just have a peanut butter sandwich. </li><li> <strong> Snack:  </strong> Depending on the day, I may just have some more fruit. Other times I have a snack bar, or a few dates with some nuts.  </li><li> <strong> Dinner: </strong>  Youll probably see grilled chicken and roasted veggies, plus pasta (but no sauce-I dont like it) or beans on my plate. My kids and I also eat breakfast for dinner (pancakes or waffles, bacon, and juice) pretty regularly. We have my parents over for dinner once a week-and my mom and I split the cooking. When I have my kids (who are now 10 and 12) on the weekends, well go out to eatand I definitely steal bites from their plate. </li><li> <strong> Dessert: </strong>  I eat something sweet nearly every day, and sometimes Ill have a lunch and a dinner dessert. Often its fruit, but from time to time I bake and I eat my homemade treats. Im a big chocolate girl.  </li></ul>

<p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByOHG6agiTg/" id="5794124b-b567-38e5-aa25-d3f9238850db">  View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByOHG6agiTg/" id="e631fe36-54c7-3862-a524-6b04e65afd0c">  This morning was extremely unpleasant, and I recognized early that I needed to #getmoving to #takecare of myself #selfcare #mygirl (#photocredit) and I went to #highexposure and I decided to work on a 5.11 that I have struggled with for ages. I couldn't get the #fullsend , but farther than I have ever gotten. I needed that. #ninjatraining #progress #bettereveryday #fitlife #getstrongagain #betterthanyesterday #anw #ocr #athlete #fitmom #momstrong #ninjawarrior #comeback #fitlife #aclrecovery #backtowork. #getbackup #training #trainhappy #theobstacleistheway #americanninjawarrior #powerofpositivity #latsfordays #stressrelief </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kirinhartstrong1/" id="8a89d29e-0e99-37a5-a39c-8a72a417c016">  Kirin </a> (@kirinhartstrong1) on Jun 2, 2019 at 1:17pm PDT</p>

<h1>  Finding my fitness groove helped me feel better physically, yes. But it also gave me the strength to get over the toughest emotional hurdles of my life.  </h1>

<p>Within the past couple of years, my husband and I divorced. It was a hard realization that I had become so completely dependent on him for everything from my professional life to parenting, down to the way I dressed. There were moments where I actually believed I wouldnt be able to go on without him, but I got through it and proved to myself just how strong I am. </p>

<p>I also was formally diagnosed with anxiety and depression and am now managing my mental health conditions with medication, on top of leaning into fitness and on my friends and family. I feel good. Even those closest to me say that I seem happier than ever, and thats the best compliment you can receive.</p>

<p>All of those things aside, Im 38 years old, and Im healthier on the outside and inside than I have been in a while. I am happy with how I look, which is something that I know that many women my age struggle to say. Im proud of how far I have come, even though I know how far I still have left to go as an athlete, a parent, and as a person in general. </p>

<p>I believe that my physical health is a byproduct of how I feel on the inside. Taking care of myself has been the thing that has gotten me through some dark and difficult times. I will be better for my children. They need me the best I can be, and I can only be the mom they deserve and the woman I deserve to be when Im taking care of and challenging myself.</p>

'Obstacle Course Races Helped Me Lose 35 Pounds'

I was athletic as a kid and in high school. I also ran track all four years in college. After I graduated, my life totally changed. I got a job after school and was engaged to my college boyfriend. We married in 2004, and soon after, we started a family. I had my son in March 2007 and was still nursing him when <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a19945862/life-changing-accidental-pregnancy/" id="082f1058-3ccc-32c2-a290-c52124e06c66">  I found out I was pregnant </a> with my daughte...

'I Transformed My Body And Mind Through Obstacle Course Races and Ninja Warrior Events'

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Kirin Hart as told to Emily Shiffer

Articles written by the author

'I Transformed My Body And Mind Through Obstacle Course Races and Ninja Warrior Events'