Book Review: Getting My Bounce Back by Carolee Belken Walker
I started working out in my late forties. Throughout my journey, I have found that most people were athletic growing up but I found a handful of folks, like me, who didn’t participate in anything until middle age set in.
Carolee Belkin Walker, the author, had a similar experience. Growing up on Long Island, Walker, a middle-aged woman, was slightly overweight and wanted to make a change. In March 2014, she set foot in the gym and her life changed forever.
The book, Getting My Bounce Back, takes the reader on a fitness/life journey through the ups and downs of Walker’s transformation. Since most of the content comes from Walker’s original blog, SKINNYCAROLEE and then moved over to BE THE DOG, the book is written like a diary, with journal entries. You get an inside look at the author and the people who have impacted her journey along the way.
Some of the entries were humorous like when Walker was asked to take a drug test with her current employer and couldn’t fill the cup, to the time when she was actually able to run, not just walk, on the treadmill.
Walker includes recipes and song playlists that she used at every gym session.
I tend to use the same playlist over and over again. Walker uses different songs for each workout.
My favorite part was when Walker ran the Jamaican Marathon and with nearly 2.5 miles to go, her legs became swollen. When the cyclist told her that he should call a medic, she told the cyclist her husband was a doctor. She called him. He answered. She told him the situation and he said, “I don’t know.” I laughed. It sounded familiar. Walker eventually crossed the finish line with time to spare.
Getting My Bounce Back – How I got fit, healthier, and happier (and you can, too) is a wonderful book for anyone who is embarking the same fitness journey. It gives encouragement, motivation, and insight. It’s funny, it’s easy to read and it’s real.
You can purchase the book on Amazon.
