Despite the hate, local woman promotes positivity following viral TikTok

 

CASS COUNTY, Mich. -- A woman from Cassopolis is learning the quirks of being TikTok viral.

There are nine million views and counting on a simple video of a cardio drumming class that Ashley Pompey posted to her TikTok page.

"I didn't check my TikTok the whole day and when I looked on there, it was like 99+ plus notifications and I was like 'What is going on with this!?'" Ashley Pompey recalls.

Of course, she noticed the thousands of new likes and followers, but then, she started scrolling through the comments.

"Taking the groceries inside would burn more calories," commented one user.

"Middle-aged women will do anything but actually exercise," read another comment.

Most of the nearly 15,000 comments are like these; shaming and poking fun of the low-impact workout that is cardio drumming.

"I'm not taking anything to heart," Pompey says.

She is still in good spirits because she knows that the routine workout has had a positive impact on her health and wellbeing since she started regularly taking the classes four months ago.

"This is the best I've felt mentally and physically in a long time," admits Pompey.

A fitness instructor at Beacon Health and Fitness echoes the benefits of low-impact exercise, like cardio drumming that go beyond the sweat and elevated heart rate.

"It's good for memory, it's good for coordination, it's good for anxiety and stress reduction," explains Susan Shirk, a fitness instructor at Beacon Health and Fitness. "There's a lot of therapy I think when you're having a lot of stress that you can bang on a ball or a bucket or the floor, and just move to music and have fun."

Doing that surrounded by other people is all the more beneficial.

"The happiness that comes from it is being in a group environment," Shirk says.

That's why Pompey has since brought along her best friend from sixth grade to take the cardio drumming classes with her.

"We just have so much fun, we just laugh and dance harder," says Pompey and her best friend, Stephanie Knepple.

Ironically, the negative comments are helping the video get more attention.

Pompey hopes her positivity inspires others to find something that gets them up and moving and genuinely makes them happy, like cardio drumming does for her.

"It doesn't matter what size they are, where they're at, if they have a disability, just find something that you can do, modify it, and it'll just give you that boost of serotonin to your brain and you'll just feel so much better," Pompey says.

If cardio drumming looks like something you want to try, now's your chance.

Beginning on Monday April 8, Beacon Health and Fitness is offering a free week of fitness classes for non-members. You can find more information on class schedules here.