Amy’s Story—Strength, Resilience, and Hope in Santa Fe
“Life is what you make of it. You can be happy or sad. It’s up to you.” That’s the wisdom Amy Weyhrauch grew up with, and it shows in everything she does. A mom of four, Amy has advanced ankylosing spondylitis, but she has never let that define who she is.
When Amy started at SolCore Fitness she moved stiffly and cautiously, in real pain and unable to turn her neck easily. Her number one goal was simple: just to get out of pain and move again without fear. Years of being misdiagnosed after a clavicle injury, and even being tested for leukemia, would make anyone hesitant—but Amy’s resolve was stronger than her setbacks.
To explain how AS affects her, I always put it this way: “Everything that you do is magnified. When somebody else doesn’t stretch for a day, they get a little tight. When you miss your stretches for a day or two, your body starts to lock up. Literally!”
Yet, day after day, Amy showed up, embracing our core principle: “Consistent Steady Improvement.” After a year-plus of private training 3–4 days a week, Amy has seen remarkable progress.
Q & A: Amy’s Perspective
1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?
“My Ankylosing was the main reason to seek out help. It just made me feel so bad, and it is really hard to motivate yourself when you don’t feel good. I just kept giving myself excuses as to why I shouldn’t and couldn’t do it. Well, I finally got to the point where I felt so bad that I reached out to a friend of mine, Liz Karp, and she recommended you to me.”
2) What did you do before?
“Yoga tapes, exercise tapes, tennis, hiking, sometimes skiing. I also had this chart that was given to me on stretches I should do for Ankylosing. But I knew I needed somebody to teach me the right way.”
3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?
“Well, I have lost 7-8% body fat and around 10 pounds, but what I am most proud of is the fact that I am a happier better person because I don’t hurt all the time. It got to the point where I didn’t want to go out and be social. The weight of that pain on me all day took all my effort, and to think about spending more effort on going out was too much. I also LOVE that I now have tools to keep myself moving and feeling great. Not only the stretches and exercises but also the fitness journal you gave me was a big help—especially at the start. It is eye-opening to look back and see how you really did, not just how you thought you did!”
4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?
“I do not like the Mountain Climbers! I love the wall stretch L5-S1, love the hip stretch (Glute Med). Actually, I love all the hip stretches and all the spine stretches.”
5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?
“Weight loss is my next big goal along with staying out of pain and keeping my body mobile. I also want to keep changing my habits and keep getting better with the advanced workouts you guys have been giving me.”
6) What do you like best about our program/having a trainer?
“The knowledge that you guys have is invaluable. I also love that you are flexible. You guys always have a program ready, but if I come in and say I am feeling a certain way, you are able to change the program on the fly to meet my needs. I also really appreciate that you guys push me to levels that I didn’t think I could do before, but you never push me too far.”
7) What advice would you give to other SolCore Fitness members?
“KEEP IT UP! Keep coming to class. Keep doing your homework. Keep making those small improvements each day.”
8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?
“I wish I had had somebody who I trusted to push me to start this sooner. Think about how many times you have procrastinated. I waited almost a year from knowing about SolCore Fitness to starting with them. To get better you have to start. So start now!”
If Amy’s story sounds familiar, and you’re ready for personal, compassionate coaching to help you break through pain and reach your goals, see how SolCore Fitness’ programs can help:
https://www.solcorefitness.com/personal-training-and-manual-therapy/
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