A knee surgeon refused to treat her until she lost weight, and now she’s running 5Ks and planning trips

Freyja Kendrick’s emotional journey to a low-impact workout plan began after decades of pain, setbacks, and a deep desire to feel like herself again.

What started with a gymnastics injury in high school turned into years of physical and emotional challenges that left her barely able to walk. At just 18, Freyja gained 40 pounds while recovering from severe burns.

As she tried to regain control of her health, she explored different workouts—power yoga, kickboxing, and more.

But none of them supported sustainable health. Her knee pain always got worse, forcing her to quit.

Over time, other injuries piled on. She slipped on the ice. She fell while snorkeling.

Each incident added more pain and made everyday movement harder. Even a short walk felt impossible.

Eventually, in 2019, she met with a knee replacement surgeon, desperate for help.

“I said, ‘I’ve got to do something about this pain,’ and he said, ‘Well, you’ve got to do something about your weight. I can’t operate on someone your size.’ It was devastating to hear he wouldn’t operate on me,” Freyja shared to TODAY.

That moment shifted everything.

Finding hope in a low-impact workout plan

Freyja needed something gentle, effective, and consistent.

That’s when she found Fluid Running, a water-based fitness program that offered the low-impact workout plan she had been searching for.

She began with early Friday morning classes at a local pool near her Chicago home. Almost instantly, she felt a spark of hope.

“It was a monumental shift in my life. Being able to work out hard, which is what I had done as an athlete, was what I wanted to do. I wanted to get my heart rate up,” she said. “I started feeling really good.”

After a few sessions, she bought the Fluid Running app and equipment to continue from a pool closer to home.

She kept up with three sessions a week and added occasional group classes.

In the water, she could finally push herself without the pain. The exercise helped her body and her mind.

Her blood pressure dropped. Her stress eased. For the first time in years, she was moving without fear.

A gentle strength-building routine that worked

Along with her pool workouts, Freyja added walking daily for weight loss. She started small but stayed consistent.

Together, the water exercises and daily walks formed a gentle strength-building routine that her body could handle—and more importantly, stick with.

In just eight weeks, she lost 10 pounds. But it wasn’t just about the number. Her energy grew. Her mood improved.

She began to believe lasting change was possible.

The low-impact workout plan is built on gentle, steady strength

To make her progress last, Freyja also looked at her eating habits.

She connected with a nutritionist to help her build a plan focused on sustainable health. The goal wasn’t fast results—it was long-term wellness.

“I had been overweight my whole life and I knew if I took it off quickly, it would just come right back on. I wanted to do it right,” she said.

Her new approach emphasized whole foods, about 30 grams of protein per meal, and keeping carbs under 100 grams daily.

She still enjoyed treats—she made choices supporting her bigger goals.

“It’s a tradeoff, to eat in a sustainable way, and then to keep your body fit so when the weight comes off, you’re not just smaller, you’re leaner and healthier and you feel better.”

But food has always been more than fuel.

“To me, food is a reward… Everything’s a treat. If you had a good day, you treat yourself. If you had a bad day, you treat yourself.”

That insight led her to therapy, where she began the deeper emotional work of her transformation.

This was an emotional journey of weight loss, not just a physical one. With time, she shifted her thinking and found pride in eating for nourishment—not comfort.

A new life through consistency and courage

Freyja’s journey paid off. Over the next 18 months, she lost 65 pounds. That gave her the green light for two knee replacement surgeries, just three months apart.

Six months after her second surgery, she was strong enough to run a 5K. And it wasn’t even difficult.

“It was easy. I had done 10Ks in the water a million times,” she said.

Her commitment to a low-impact workout plan and gentle strength-building routine had prepared her for this moment.

She also continued walking daily for weight loss, which kept her active and grounded outside the pool.

Now, she feels more present, balanced, and confident handling daily ups and downs.

Looking ahead—with strength and freedom

Freyja’s personal growth also strengthened her relationship with her husband, whom she met in 2016.

He had started working out about a year before she did, and now they support each other through their health journeys.

She wants the energy to keep up with him as they age. She focuses on maintaining sustainable health so they can enjoy their future together.

Part of that future includes retiring in Mexico, where they hope to travel the country. At the top of her list: hiking the forest hills of Michoacán to see the monarch butterflies.

She often imagines that scene while doing hill drills in the pool. “I’m picturing that hill that leads me through the forest up to the butterflies,” she said.

Watch this short video to see how a low-impact workout plan like Fluid Running can help you build strength without the strain: