Some of Liz’s favorite things in life are weightlifting and drinking good wine. Today is her birthday and I’m sure she’ll be doing both!
Why did you join Northglenn Health and Fitness?
I like strength focused workouts and prior to moving to Colorado I’d been lifting on my own, but I missed the camaraderie of working out in a small group setting. Two of my cousins were going to the gym and suggested I give it a shot. I’m glad I listened to them!
What have you enjoyed so far about Northglenn Health and Fitness?
The people–from the coaches to the other athletes–have all been great and really supportive. I also love that the coaches work so hard to meet athletes where we’re at and where we can make sustainable progress instead of pushing us places we may be uncomfortable. The whole environment is really welcoming.
What’s the best advice for someone considering joining?
Don’t be intimidated by the workouts. Before joining, given my health concerns, I didn’t think I could complete a CrossFit style workout. But the coaches here are great and will work with you to make the workouts challenging for you, but doable. Also, if you’re thinking about the strength programs offered at the gym–do yourself a favor and sign up. The coaches work with you every step of the way, and the results (both mental and physical) are totally worth it! Especially for women, there’s a confidence that comes with heavy lifting that you start taking with you into other facets of your life, and you didn’t know you were missing it until you found it.
What do you do in your free time?
I like to be outside, whether it’s walking my dog, going for a weekend hike, or just sitting on the balcony with a good book. I’m also a bit of an oenophile (wine geek), but for now instead of tasting rooms, I’m trying to get through some of my wine collection.
What are your goals for your fitness/health?
I’ve got a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and while it’s not too serious it’s most noticeable symptoms are muscle pain and weakness–mostly meaning that the muscle aging that everyone experiences started fairly early for me. Strength workouts help manage the pain, and more importantly, thus far they’ve put me in a place where I can easily walk up and down stairs, get off a chair without having to use my hands to push myself up, and made most of life a lot easier. And that’s my biggest goal–to have a fairly normal quality of life, to feel strong and capable, to be able to rely on my body, and be able to hike, travel, etc. without having to worry about physical limitations.