Our own Dr. Karlie Sikura applies functional fitness to real life situations.
I don’t normally post personal stories, but today I feel compelled to share a quick story about functional fitness…
This week I was at Home Hardware picking up four 20kg salt bags for our water softener. The lady at the cash called for “salt carry assistance” over the intercom, to which I responded that I was able to carry them myself. “They are really heavy”, she exclaimed. “That’s okay, I can handle them”, I said. But she insisted that a man needed to help me, and he would be over shortly. As she waited, I walked over to the pile of salt bags, launched one over my shoulder and walked it to my car. When I returned for the rest, she and a few other customers were watching as if they had never seen a woman lift anything on her own before. Then yesterday during the snow storm, I pushed a lady’s Porsche (who neglected to get snow tires) out of the middle of the street when she was stuck.
I am not telling this story for praise, or to brag that I am able to lift a bag of salt or push a car. I am telling it to share the benefits of strength training and training functional movements. I have gained a lot from Crossfit and weight lifting. I am stronger now than I have ever been before and I can’t even count how many times this strength has come in handy. It allows me to withstand the physical demands of my career and complete daily tasks with ease. Crossfit has taught me to value my body for all of the remarkable things it can do, not for the way that it looks. This mindset has absolutely changed the way that I view going to the gym.
It doesn’t have to be Cross fit. I encourage everyone to find what you love and pursue that. Move every day. Incorporate strength training into your routine whenever possible. Women (and men) are meant to be strong and capable. You will be amazed by what the body is capable of, and your body will thank you in return.
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