Here is a testimonial talking about how improved strength can have an impact on aspects of life you didn’t even realize. Thanks for the write-up Marilyn!
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Shooting Baskets…
Coordination, physical ability of any kind for that matter, was never my strong suit! I was usually the last girl chosen on the playground and the first to get hurt! Consequently, I geared myself for the “safer” sports such as swimming and dancing (if you can call dancing a sport).
Just after my 40th Birthday my husband and I decided to go bowling. This was usually a “safe’ sport for me. But much to my surprise, it proved otherwise in my older age. As I drew my arm back to prepare to throw the ball down the lane, I realized that I was in great jeopardy of hurting myself. I needed to quickly adapt my usual swing and lightly toss the ball instead. Even this proved to be detrimental for me. After barely getting through my first “toss,” I went pale and was immediately tired. My husband asked if I was okay, and I was embarrassed! I couldn’t believe how weak I had become in my older age. I was much more fragile to injury than I cared to admit. This reality sent me to sign up for a Gym membership and a personal trainer the next week.
Although one of my physical goals included weight loss, my bigger goal was the ability to live an active life without injury. Not ever being athletic in my life, I did not expect miracles. I simply wanted to continue enjoying the “safer sports” I had always engaged. But I was soon greatly surprised! As I began to train under Brian Reddy’s coaching, I found muscles I didn’t know God had given me. I was also greatly surprised by my increased ability in the areas of balance and coordination. But my best surprise was the day I began experiencing greater strength, coordination and balance outside of the gym!
It was Memorial Day Weekend and my husband and I were at a family BBQ as usual. Also customary to the day, the men were out playing basketball and the women were inside preparing the food. I am not sure what got into me that day, but for some unknown reason, I decided to join the men playing basketball outside. This was quite a shock to everyone, including myself. In the 26 years I have been married into my husband’s family, I have never engaged in the family sports games. But the kitchen was hot and the game looked like fun. My husband and 24 year old son laughed a bit as I joined in, but they were soon found silent. As I took my first shot, I experienced something I had never experienced before: strength! I was actually able to throw the basketball with follow through in my arms. It wasn’t my typical “girl toss.” I was even surprised at how natural my arms and hands followed through as I aimed for the basket. Even more incredible was the fact that I made the basket. At this point, we (including myself) were surmising the basket as one of those “lucky shots.” But it felt so good that I began shooting one basket after another. Everyone in the game stopped with their jaws hanging wide open. In 26 years, they had never seen this part of me-neither had I! While I was shooting one basket after another, from every corner and angle, I realized that I was not “un-coordinated’ as I had always been led to believe about myself, I was simply weak. The proof was in the pudding! Now that I had a little bit of strength, my hand-eye coordination proved just fine. In fact, I was “hot!”
I don’t think I will ever forget that day. It was the day I realized I could do more than I had ever believed about myself. It may seem simple to some, but it was great fun hearing people tease my husband, “Your wife kicked your butt in basketball today!” Wow, I never thought I would hear those words! Even better, I decided I would never again stay in the kitchen while the family was out having fun. There was life to be embraced, baskets to shoot and goals to reach!
Thank you Brian for your knowledgeable training and your constant encouragement to shoot for the basket in every corner of life!
Marilyn’s first time doing push-ups
Posted on July 20, 2011