When I first joined GCF I was just looking to get in better shape and simply feel better overall. The normal regimen of what I was doing just wasn’t cutting it for me. I was finding myself becoming bored and falling into the same workout routines over and over. After that first class nearly two and a half years ago, my life has changed for the best and I’ve been hooked ever since!
Since becoming a member of this amazing community I have become better not only in the gym but also at work and on a personal level. Along the way I met some really incredible people that feel like family to me. The coaching is really what makes Gardens CrossFit the ideal gym. I am thankful for the programming and how the coaches really take the time to make you a better athlete. I learned that exercise is only one aspect of what they do at GCF. Nutrition is another field in which I learned a great deal. Their nutrition follows a specific template but it can change depending on the individual and their specific goals. I wasn’t just given a list of “eat this and don’t eat that”. Instead I was taught what to eat and what not to eat and why. Because of GCF, I no longer look at my food as a “diet”. Instead it is a lifestyle.
The focus of this months BAMF is on the women of GCF who are currently or very recently pregnant. I am honored to be one of the lucky women who used Gardens CrossFit throughout my pregnancy to make those 9 months one to remember forever. It helped with minimal weight gain (only 18 lbs!) It put me in the physical shape to have an excellent labor and delivery. Miki was not only supportive but also highly encouraging during this time. She has this unique ability to know the individual needs and abilities of her members. If a movement was not doable for a pregnant woman without hesitation she would tell me how to modify it before I even knew I shouldn’t be doing it! There are some people who you can say are doing what they were “designed” to do- and Miki is absolutely one of those people.
Fast forward several months and here comes my due date, April 28th. Baby did not come that day so where was I? In the gym! I also worked out the day after along with some yoga classes here and there. On Thursday April 30th I went into labor and did most of it at home and throughout the night. Because of the intensity and tolerance we build at GCF, I was able to take the pain of labor up until the very end. Because of my fitness level I pushed for only 20 minutes. In fact my OB didn’t even have to change my pushing technique. “Whatever you just did, do it again”, he stated. Furthermore throughout my pregnancy he was fully supportive of everything I was doing physically. Many women unfortunately use pregnancy as a reason to eat whatever they want and to avoid activities. I am proof that maintaining a healthy diet with ample physical activity will give a woman an increase likelihood of an easy pregnancy along with delivery. Not to mention the many benefits for the baby which I think have been evident in the past few days since her birth.
So thank you GCF for contributing to my success in making my life better.
