Pilates by Izzy 25 Day Challenge – Day 2

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This post documents my experience with the Pilates by Izzy 25 Day Challenge, starting with my thoughts and reflections on Day 2 of the workout.

The Hard Truth – Day 2 (7 Months Later)

I actually started the Pilates by Izzy challenge seven months ago. And it’s not that I did one day and stopped—no, I completed a few days and then life happened.

Over the past seven months, I’ve moved, started new work adventures, and taken a huge step back from social media overall.

Because of all of this, I didn’t document my Izzy workouts the way I originally planned. I wrote about Day 1… and then stopped. I want to make that right by starting again with Day 2 and completing this journey with detailed notes about my progress and overall emotional experience during the challenge.

If you’re reading this and have started your own journey toward completing the challenge, I hope my documentation helps you in some way. Sometimes it’s important to put pen to paper—or fingers to keys in my case—to really see your progress and accomplishments.

If you haven’t already, check out my thoughts on Day 1 here!

Why Pilates vs. Other Workouts

Pilates is my preferred workout method because it’s painful in the right way.

The burn I feel in my glutes is part of the journey toward greater strength and stability. When I ride a bike, the seat makes my butt hurt so bad! Maybe I just had the wrong seat, but I cannot stand the butt aches—and it wasn’t worth it to me to keep experimenting with different ones.

Running, on the other hand, feels like punishment to me. I love that other people fall in love with running, but I never have—and honestly, good for them!

When I go to the gym, I tend to feel self-conscious. I also find myself depending on the presence of people I know to feel comfortable there.

What I love about Pilates is that I can do it alone. I can follow a teacher online and still feel like I have a personal trainer guiding me. I also get to lie down and take breaks when I need them—without guilt or shame for slowing down.

Day 2 – Expectation vs. Reality

When I started this journey seven months ago, I was living at my mom’s house and had a babysitter.

Now it’s just me and my two-year-old—and I didn’t fully factor in what that would mean.

I laid out my Lululemon 5mm yoga mat, grabbed my cork block from Dick’s Sporting Goods, and pressed play on Pilates by Izzy Day 2.

My toddler walked up, looked down at me lying flat on the mat, and seemed genuinely confused. As he looked down at me, he had the biggest double chin—like the Michelin Man or like a can of biscuits had exploded on his neck.

Then he burst into hysterical belly laughter at my silly workout antics and walked away.

I thought I was in the clear.

About five minutes into the YouTube video, he decided my pointed-toe legs would make a great race car track for his toy cars.

Meanwhile, I hear Izzy calmly saying, “And now we pulse…” while I’m trying to focus on my breathing as my son decides it’s the perfect moment to WWE-style tackle me and knock the tiny bit of air I had left right out of my lungs.

Through various pauses, redirections, distractions, and a few headbutts from a two-year-old, I somehow managed to finish the video.

It physically hurt me to rewind parts of it, knowing I was only extending the Izzy torture—but I wanted to make sure I got a full workout in, no matter how many times I had to start over.

Check out the pilates queen herself!

How Did It Feel?

Honestly? It felt good.

I felt accomplished—like I overcame a struggle I didn’t even anticipate until I was in the middle of it.

I love working out with my son, and I truly wouldn’t have it any other way. I hope he learns from watching my progress and eventually mimics me with his own little Pilates moves… preferably without the WWE ones.

There was one moment where I paused the video to check how much time was left. I know, I know—but my glutes were burning.

To my surprise, I was already more than halfway through the workout and only had about 12 minutes left.

That realization gave me the motivation I needed to finish strong. I was making progress and getting through it despite the three-foot-tall distractions.

What I Want to Improve

Above all else, I want to improve my consistency with both the challenge and the documentation.

Seven months ago, I made a goal for myself and didn’t follow through. This time, I plan to change that.

It’s a new year, and I need to hurry up and finish this challenge because my girl Izzy has a Season 2—although this will be the first seasonal show I will not be binge-watching.

One thing I love is when Izzy says things like, “This is how we build strength.”

It helps place me in the moment with a reminder of what my future will look like if I don’t give up.

I will get stronger.
This is how we build strength.

Those hard baby steps matter, and it’s important to push through the burn to make progress.

I also want to focus more on my breathing techniques, which is something I struggle with. This is where videos by Moves With Nicole will come into play, and I plan to incorporate her into my routine as well.

Maybe I’ll even start another blog series documenting that journey—or add my notes here. We’ll see!

If you want to follow along with my Pilates by Izzy journey and progress, please subscribe to my newsletter for updates on new posts.

Looking Ahead to Day 3

Tomorrow is Day 3, and I plan to show up for myself again (for real this time).

I won’t push beyond my limits, but I will challenge myself to keep learning and growing.

Before starting this challenge, I looked up the equipment Izzy uses throughout the 25 days to make sure I was prepared.

For Day 2, you’ll need:

A yoga or Pilates mat (what I’m using)

A yoga block (my choice)

A lot of dedication

If you’re also doing the Pilates by Izzy challenge, I’d love to hear about your experience. Feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me directly—I’m always excited to connect with others on this journey.