October 27, 2014
I was one of those kids who hated gym class. I'd rather sit with a book. All that reading and sitting (and eating) made me a bit chubby. My gym class had little effect on my attitudes toward exercise, so by the time I was in high school I was in involved in new activities, had new friends as well as the possibility of a boyfriend, and plenty of school work — the situation, for me, became overwhelming.
A family friend suggested I take up tennis. It would keep me focused and give me a new skill. But the main thing tennis did was open my eyes to exercise. Wow, did I feel better!
I was hooked immediately and the bonus was a positive way to deal with life's bumps in the road. Those good feelings translated into good decisions in starting my family, raising my kids, and teaching them to be healthy. I won't bore you with all the studies that show exercise to benefit how we think and feel -- I was a case study. I had discovered the inner meaning of fitness and to this day, when I go for a run on Fiscalini Ranch, it's about clearing my head from the stresses of the day as much as it is just exercise.
Lara's Story
When it comes down to it, reasons to stay fit throughout one's life are personal. Some people played sports in their youth and have never stopped working out. Others, as adults, chose to start exercising for health reasons.
My friend Lara, a high school chemistry teacher, ran track when she was a youngster. As an adult she participated in fun runs, which she always thought were enough for her. But early in 2013 she started to sense that running wasn't helping to improve her fitness or manage her weight. What she didn't know is that getting serious about exercise would be so fulfilling.
"I knew I needed to add strength training to my fitness routine," she says, "but I had always been reluctant and felt intimidated." That's such a common sentiment women feel about the competitive energy often found in gymnasiums and fitness clubs. Lara set her fears aside and tried the MaxFit class at the Paso Robles Sports Club.
"MaxFit is high intensity, small group functional training," Lara says. "It’s a performance based training program using proven methods aimed at pushing your body to its limits, both physically and mentally. I loved it from the first day, but I have never been so sore in my life!"
Like me with my tennis, Lara was hooked. She went to MaxFit 2 to 4 days each week and soon began to feel stronger and leaner. And she noticed her running pace was getting faster, too. Lara also started with the Olympic weightlifting classes which met 2 to 3 days each week. That was quite challenging as she started doing the same routines you see weightlifters do on TV during the actual Olympics -- deadlifts, squats, clean & jerks, etc. "I love the feeling of strength and the accomplishment with improving my lifts and technique."
Lara also cleaned up her diet, avoiding processed foods and foods with added sugar. "At almost 46 years old I have never felt better!" she says.
"I still love to run competitively, but adding other activities such as CrossFit competitions and weightlifting competitions have made it even more enjoyable. I have two CrossFit competitions coming up, and my second Olympic weightlifting competition in November. I owe my love of strength training and CrossFit to my coach, as he has taught me proper technique, motivated and encouraged me, and pushed me in ways I had never imagined. It truly has been life-changing."
Aside from her career as a teacher, Lara is a wife and a mother of two. She has a daughter who swims competitively in high school and son in grade school who's dream is to play soccer.
"I love that I am still learning new things," she tells me. "I love being a role model for my kids to lead an active life and never be afraid to try something different. You will never know the thrill of something if you don’t try it!"