8fit Success Story: Rabab

Less than a year into her 8fit journey, Rabab had built her own 8fit community close to home by introducing two other generations of her family to the app. The 38-year-old mother of two from Saudi Arabia incorporates the 8fit program into her already busy and active life, and is seeing the benefits in both herself and those around her. We caught up with her to find out how she makes it work, what recipes are her go-tos, and how she found 8fit was great for any age.

Rabab, what made you choose 8fit?

I didn’t have an unhealthy lifestyle, for the most part, and tried to do some form of exercise five or six times a week. I was trying out some workouts at home, with dumbbells and bodyweight exercises, but I wasn’t really sure that I was doing it right. I wanted something that gave me some coaching, had everything in one place, and that I could take with me when I traveled, as that was another issue. So, I searched the App Store and 8fit seemed like it could work. That was 2018.

And did it work?

A lot! Both in my performance and the way my body has changed. I refined some of my dumbbell exercises and added in more 8fit workouts. It was good to have the trainer on the screen so I could see how to properly execute the movements and discover new ones. I was a little skeptical about paying for an app at first so, just to make sure it was a good fit, I tried the free version before moving up to Pro.

What keeps you motivated?

The results are what encourage me most; I want to keep getting better. There’s always something to motivate you in the app, whether it’s a new workout, trying a recipe with something you’ve never cooked before, or another 8fitter’s inspirational story. My family loves to get together and eat, so that makes sticking to a meal plan difficult, but I got some of them involved in 8fit too, so that helps.

So you aren’t the only one at home doing the workouts?

I encouraged my mother to join me and gifted a one-year 8fit membership to her for her 65th birthday. She told me that she has a lot more flexibility than she did before, and you can see that her health is improving. My teenage daughter also has a membership now and makes sure I participate in the exercises—she has so much energy. She loves it. She’s already reminding me that I must renew the subscription when the year ends.

What are your favorite workouts?

The strength training, HIIT, and more recently boxing and Pilates. I get bored doing the same workouts repeatedly so the variety in the app is important for me as I can switch it up from time to time. If I’m taking things off-app, I love to get out and walk, or get on the bike, and I love to dance.

Which recipes have you enjoyed?

The coconut curry, with all those chickpeas and vegetables, and the coconut porridge with apples are definitely among my favorites. The salads and smoothies are great too, especially the matcha smoothie that’s made with almond butter. I like to try the ones where I’ve never cooked anything like that before and test them out on my family—they always turn out to be delicious.

Who are you going to recruit to the 8fit family next?

Haha, I don’t know who it will be, but my health and fitness have changed so much for the better that I’m sure it won’t take long. The combination of becoming more aware of how I eat and physically having more ability has also made my mind a lot clearer. Everything you need for a healthy lifestyle is in your hand, literally, and it doesn’t matter when you start. As C.S. Lewis said, “You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”