From rehab to a new career About five years ago I had a stroke, and I went through the whole rehab setting and kind of got re-energized with fitness. I realized having a physical therapist was kind of like having a personal trainer, and later this opportunity came up to open a personal training gym through Athletic Nation in Maple Grove. Beginning at the beginning I just didn't have any use of my right side of my body. They thought with rehab I should be able to relearn at least parts of it. It was a long road, but I knew that since there was no spinal cord injury, the brain could rewrite if I continued to do repetitive tasks. Fortunately fit I was told over and over by doctors and therapists that because of the physical shape I was in previous to this, I'd see a lot of benefits along the path of recovery. If I'd been overweight or led more of a sedentary lifestyle, I would have had a lot greater challenges. By 2005, a marathon in Phoenix I just kind of wanted to run a marathon and knew that the training itself would be rehab. It's pretty overwhelming for anybody who has competed in a marathon to go through that experience. The fact that I'd think back to not that long ago when I was literally on the parallel bars learning to walk made me appreciate it more. To finish it was definitely one of the top highlights of my life, period. Certified as a personal trainer in 2008 I know that I can directly affect people and help them change their lives by getting them in here and holding them accountable. What we do here that's different than some of the other training gyms is ramp up the intensity a bit. Too often, people get on a treadmill and run for half an hour at a moderate pace, but don't get anywhere with results. I'll have you do mile intervals or sprint for 30 seconds and get your heart rate up. Live life Come in and get your workout, but also go out and enjoy activities, whether it's a walk with your family, bike ride to the park or joining a broomball league. It's just healthy and social, and it's a great way to get out and live life vs. sitting cloistered up in the house. Find things you're interested in and make them a hobby.
SARAH MORAN
CONTACT US If you or someone you know would be a good candidate for "How I Got This Body," e-mail us at body@startribune.com and include your name, age, contact information and an explanation of your fitness story.
