When the 2020 Summer Paralympics were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, I was disappointed but understood it was necessary. The delay gave me extra time to train and prepare, but going into quarantine and not having full access to a gym wasn't exactly ideal. I was working out from home, but it just wasn't the same.
That’s why I was so excited when I discovered Agogie Resistance Band pants. I first found the pants on Instagram. I look up so much workout-related content that Instagram was like, “Hey, I think you would like these.” And Instagram was absolutely right!
Whenever I’m working out, exercises that involve resistance bands have notoriously been my least favorite. I hate having to stop to put them on, the transition is never smooth, and because of the brace on my left leg, they never stay put. So, when I saw that Agogie pants had resistance bands already built into them, I thought, “Oh wow, I definitely need those in my life.”
I started with a pair of the 20+ resistance. To make sure my legs could handle the resistance, the first time I wore them, I just did some basic movements like walking and sitting and just moving my legs. I remember as I was walking, I noticed a little bit of an added spring to my step, which I thought was really cool. Not only was I getting resistance on the way back, but I also felt like I was walking with springs.
I was immediately hooked and started wearing them all the time, except when I was on the horse. I love how they’re so comfortable that I forget that I’m even wearing them. I’m getting resistance without even realizing it, which has been awesome.
When I’m training, I do a lot of coordination work, especially with my left side. Even though I have no feeling on my left side, it's still important that I engage the muscles in my left leg the same as my right leg when I'm on the horse. So many of my fitness goals focus on rebuilding the coordination I lost from my strokes and figuring out how to get my left side to operate similarly to my right side.
I love the Agogie pants because they provide equal resistance to both my right and left leg. My left leg has no opportunity to slack on an exercise or movement. It’s forced to move with the same resistance as my right leg. The pants have made my legs much stronger, which is extremely important for my training and competition.
I’ve also noticed they help to increase my heart rate. Endurance is essential when I'm on the horse, and I used to struggle to get my heart rate up to increase my cardio. The Agogie pants make me exert more effort for every movement, which has helped increase my heart rate more regularly to get that cardio work.
Just recently, I got the 40+ resistance pants. I'm not yet to the point where I can wear them all day, but I want to get there. And that's just one example of how the pants have inspired me to work harder and push myself further. I've always been motivated, but since getting the pants, I've been even more ready and willing to do my workouts.
They’ve given me a renewed spark in my workouts. It’s been so cool to know my legs are getting equal and constant resistance as I go from movement to movement. It’s something I’ve always needed but never had before. I no longer have to talk myself into doing my resistance band work. It’s as simple as putting on pants!
I’m just so happy that I found them when I did and that I have them in my life because they really are life-changing pants. I never thought I’d say that about a pair of pants, but they have changed my life. I'm so excited to see how they help hone my competitive edge over time and prepare me for what we are lovingly calling the 2020 +1 Paralympics!
- Sydney Collier, AGOGIAN
Read more about Sydney: https://www.sydsparaquest.com/