I lost 80 pounds thanks to a novel fitness program: ‘It really changed my life’

The tide has turned for Debi Mitchell.

At 285 pounds, the Floridian was suffering from foot and knee pain and shortness of breath that made it difficult for her to cross the street.

“I was retired. I wanted to walk, and I wanted to go places,” Mitchell, 68, griped to TODAY.com last week.

Fearing for her health, she scheduled a cardiac workup. Her doctor found that while Mitchell’s heart was in good shape, her weight contributed to her fatigue and limited mobility. An orthopedic surgeon recommended knee replacement surgery to alleviate her pain, but to qualify, she needed to shed 10 pounds.

“I thought, ‘I can lose 10 pounds.’ I weighed 285, so I had so much to lose. But I found that no matter what I did, I would hit a plateau, and then I would quit,” the St. Petersburg resident recalled.

A Facebook ad introduced her to Fluid Running, a guided deep-water program that leverages water resistance to help users build strength and avoid injury.

A competitive synchronized swimmer in her youth, Mitchell thought the workout program would be a good fit. She had a swimming pool in her backyard, which meant fewer excuses to avoid exercise at home.

The Fluid Running program includes a flotation belt and waterproof headphones to tune in to underwater audio workouts.

Mitchell maintains, “I just love it when I put on the headset and hear, ‘Hello, Fluid Runners,’ from Coach Jennifer…just when I’m starting to slow down, she’ll say, ‘OK, I know you’re tired. Pick up your head and put your balance back up. Let’s go.’ It’s like she’s in your head.”

Fluid Running allows users to control the intensity of their workouts, which integrate resistance, strength training and cardio.

Combined with the low-impact nature of the program, Fluid Running claims participants can burn up to 40% more calories than they would running on land.

Initially, Mitchell struggled to complete the 55-minute Fluid Running regimen: “The first time I made it completely through, I saw there was stretching at the end. I didn’t even know that was there. And when I did a 5K, I was so proud of myself.”

Two and a half years in, Mitchell is sticking to her swimming.

She has continued her Fluid Running workouts, averaging three a week — a commitment that has helped her lose 80 pounds and counting. More importantly, she’s gone from being unable to cross the street to walking up to 5 miles a day.

“I started doing it, and it was a game changer for me. It was just what I needed — coaching and encouragement and motivation. It really changed my life,” she gushed to TODAY.com.

Better yet, Mitchell no longer needs medication to treat Type 2 diabetes — and her weight loss has helped her avoid surgery.

“An orthopedic surgeon had said to me, ‘Every pound of weight you lose takes three pounds of pressure off your knee. So as you take those pounds of pressure off your knees, you may not need a total knee replacement,’” Mitchell explained to TODAY.com. “He was right. I have not had knee surgery, and they don’t hurt anymore like they used to.”

Free of pain, Mitchell is also free to travel. “It sure has made retirement better. Now I want to do things. I’m at the age where I want to travel,” she shared. “Before, I would never walk a mile. Now, as long as it’s not over five miles, I can do it.”

She and her husband have traveled throughout Italy, France, Canada and the US.

Mitchell is proud of her progress and looking forward to the future, “Now I always say, ‘If not now, when?’ Time is going to go by whether you make changes or not. I wish I got in this mindset 20 years ago.”