How Carolyn Got Her Groove Back

I love speaking with our Core Flyte customers to learn about their experiences. I use these conversations to gather feedback on areas such as the workout content we provide, the best ways to use Core Flytes, and our company communications. I often end up also learning new information that applies to fitness generally through these conversations. This is why I’ve written at least half a dozen blogs on Core Flyte customers. Well, here’s another one for you!

Quick disclaimer: This blog discusses an individual’s unique experience working out while managing an injury. Injuries are common, especially for active people. Every injury is different and must be evaluated by a professional. Always consult your doctor to determine the best approach for incorporating exercise back into your life after an injury.

Passion For Working Out
The inspiration for this blog was provided by a customer named Carolyn. She purchased her Core Flytes last month to add variety to her workout regimen while recovering from an injury. She is in her late 50's, lives in San Diego, and has a very active lifestyle.

As fans of The Bachelor might say, “she’s in it for the right reasons.” Carolyn said, “I got into working out for the fun of it.” She considers her workout the highlight of her day. She said, “Working out is relaxing. It reduces stress. It puts me in a zone. And, at the end of it, I can actually feel something that I did for my body.”

Adjusting Due To Injury: The Early Years
Ever since high school, Carolyn has enjoyed exercising. Growing up, she was an avid runner. Then, in her 20's, Carolyn was given what she referred to as “the death sentence for running” after an IT band injury. She said, “I was told I have flat feet, my legs aren’t perfectly straight, and my knees are taking all the stress of the pounding, and I’m just not cut out for running.” Carolyn began cross training, including both cycling and weight training. “I learned the importance of strengthening my knees,” she said. “When you’re running it’s basically a forward motion, but it’s important to develop the muscles supporting lateral motion. That way my knee will track straight. Same thing with walking, cycling, or weight lifting.”

Adjusting Due to Injury: This Summer
Carolyn has adapted her workout routines to adjust to injuries, and also to take part in fitness trends. Plyometric workouts have been very popular for the last few years. Carolyn liked these workouts because they got her heart pumping. She was performing moves that involved jumping up and down in conjuction with holding weights. Carolyn said, “I was coming down hard on my feet, but I didn’t realize that these plyometric moves were causing a ‘shock and awe’ on my arch.”

In July, she was diagnosed with posterior tibial tendonitis on the tendon that runs from the ankle to the arch of one’s foot. It is common among those with flat feet, like Carolyn. The injury was aggravated over time. Then one day, Carolyn said, “My leg was trying to stabilize my body as it was slamming into the ground, but it got angry and said, ‘no more.’ My podiatrist said if I didn’t stop what I was doing, I could either rupture or tear the tendon, which would require surgery.”

Getting Creative With Core Flytes
After her diagnosis, Carolyn limited her activity: “I went from doing all these fun things to being reduced to weight training upper body and spin cycle.” Carolyn knew she wanted to remain a very active person. Her role model is her mother. “My mom is 94 years old and she’s not falling or using a walker. Why? Because she’s walking and staying active. I watched her activity and that inspired me to keep moving.”

Carolyn was looking for a new way to get a total body workout without putting stress on her joints. “When I started watching the Core Flyte videos on the website,” she said, “I realized that I can get really creative with these things. I ordered my Core Flytes and did exercises like tricep pushups with my legs on top of the Core Flytes, archer pushups, and some moves like the Core Flyte plank pike that I’ve never done before. I could never have done them unless I had something with the special ball bearings on the bottom, like my Core Flytes.”

Carolyn is able to do more exercises than before with the help of her Core Flytes. One example she provided was the mountain climbers she does with Core Flytes that allow her to move her feet back and forth without hopping on her injured leg. Carolyn said: “With my injury, I am doing Core Flyte workouts that have no impact, with no additional weights. I would have been sitting out for at least two months, but because I’ve been able to work out I’m still strong. Once I fully heal, I’ll be able to go back into my routine much more quickly since I’ve done innovative, low-stress, stabilizing workouts.”

Core Flytes added variety and intensity to Carolyn’s workouts without putting pressure on her joints. She told me that the Core Flytes are now part of her daily workout, and without them “it would have been a very boring summer.”

Lessons Learned
As much as I would like to give Core Flytes credit for Carolyn’s tenacity, she deserves all the glory. She sought out a new way to work out while recovering from her injury and she stuck with it. Carolyn didn’t sacrifice her love of fitness due to injury. As she put it, “Most injuries affect just one small part of the body and you’ve got a lot of body left that needs a workout.” Carolyn learned about the importance of stabilizing muscles to improve her joints so that they last longer. Not only does working out keep us strong, it keeps us happy and motivated. In her 20's, Carolyn was told that she couldn’t run. Now in her late 50's, she recently completed a half marathon.

We'd love to hear from you. How have you adjusted your exercise routine due to injury? Comment below or on our Facebook page at facebook.com/flytefitness, or tweet us at @flytefitness.

Be Flyte Fit,

Jeremy Greenberg
Co-Founder & CEO
Flyte Fitness

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