Katherine has been a gym member at OPEX Lancaster Fitness since 2020, since that time she has experienced extreme changes in the way she moves her body and mind. Katherine says before she joined OPEX she had no concept of what to do in a gym. Then she moved toward a focus on being at the gym four to five times a week, at 5:30 am, before work. Now, nearly two years after being a gym member she is realizing her experience is about sustainable movement.
Strength of Body
When she began at OPEX, Katherine said she desired to do things like ride a horse, paddle a kayak, and hike on rough terrain. To reach these goals, Katherine decided to commit to learning, consistency, and coaching. Over the years, Katherine has worked hard to help her mind and body unit. The combination of her efforts and tenacity gave her an edge physically. She began moving toward the physical goals she had set long before the early morning workouts filled with kettlebell sumo deadlifts, rounds of metabolic conditioning, and box jumps. Katherine eventually realized she was moving through her days in ways she hadn’t done since high school. Her body was changing, and it was catching up with her mind’s desire to live a life with more physical adventure.
Then finally she arrived at her goal, but she didn’t stop at her destination. It was more like a crossroads to choose where she’d journey next.
Katherine has begun horseback riding again. Last summer Katherine paddled for a day, in a kayak, along a river. Recently she balanced and climbed over rocks while hiking on a trail that might have never been explored by her old self. “There were moments when I didn’t think I could do it, but I did it. I absolutely have seen a change in my stability and my strength and even my mental capacity to take on physical things,” said Katherine.
Strength of Mind
“This has been another mindset shift. Before going to the gym, I had no concept of a gym. Then I moved into being at the gym every day. Now I am recognizing it is just about continuing to move in some way,” said Katherine.
This year Katherine entered a sabbatical from work, which wasn’t easy for her because she enjoys doing all the things. Staying busy is comfortable. Choosing to rest isn’t as easy as one might assume. During her resting, she recognized she didn’t know how to engage in the gym rhythm, which was established during her working schedule. Should she spend more time at the gym or less time? Should she try different goals for workouts since she didn’t have the added stress of her job? Katherine’s coach, Kim Williams did what every quality coach does. She collaborated with Katherine based on the season of life she was venturing through. Initially, Katherine thought she could be at the gym for more time. Coach Kim saw a different opportunity and encouraged Katherine to apply a resting mindset to her gym attendance while coaching her to still move daily. “I tend to feel like it is all or nothing. But OPEX Lancaster continually challenges that thinking for me,” said Katherine.
Katherine took up walking daily and resting while collaborating with Coach Kim around nutrition. She began learning about eating behaviors and choices to build autonomy into her nutritional perspective. Over time, Katherine says she has changed her body composition and her understanding of what a number on a scale means. This took a dedication to learn, move and be consistent with basic lifestyle guidelines. Now, Katherine has the knowledge needed to continue her nutritional pursuit of eating a balanced diet that matches her activity and enjoyment level, while moving daily: at the gym or otherwise.
“I have been learning to move when I am not at the gym. I am learning how I am bent in nutrition and continue to work with that. I have learned that I don’t need to feel shame about my body, especially at OPEX,” said Katherine.
Katherine has the future in mind for her health and wellness. Her mindset is one of growth, which she equates to her experience at the gym – once a place she was afraid to go to. She says her long-term goal will continue to be finding her best rhythm and her best consistency for movement.
That is the strength of the body and mind in tandem, and Katherine is moving forward with newfound strength in both.
