By Roxanne Oswald, 3CLICK Mobile Fitness Client

In October 2017 I was up in Duluth with a girlfriend, celebrating our new-found, right-sized bodies after major weight loss.  Reveling in all the activities I could now do and enjoy, we went hiking at and at one park spent time hopping from boulder to rock along the beach and waves.  But I took a nasty fall, landing hard on my left side without being able to catch myself or buffer the fall. It was harsh enough that my leather jacket was punctured and ripped.  The initial diagnosis was two broken ribs, but two years later a significant mass growing on my spleen was also discovered, most likely caused by the trauma of this fall.

 This wasn’t the first evidence of my clumsiness.  I was fairly active, walking to and from my office several days a week in the warmer months and spending time in the pool.  But I had to be honest: I too often fell or twisted a knee or ankle doing everyday activities like carrying a laundry basket down the stairs, using a step ladder, managing storage boxes, or moving small furniture.  I often experienced aches and sometimes suffered a tweaked knee or tender ankle for weeks after.

 Then I had the opportunity to meet 3Click Fitness’ Amy Divine who put me through a functional pattern workout over ten weeks.  Some of the initial exercises like standing against a wall or being wrapped up in stretch bands seemed very odd, awkward and different than what I was seeing others in the workout center doing.  But by the fourth training session I knew I was carrying my body easier, like there was a new fluidity to my gait and movements. I extended for additional sessions and now see her weekly at the Saturday morning group class she instructs.  I also started one-on-one sessions last Fall with Ryan Parr who also uses Functional Patterns, and have been seeing him weekly since.

 So what is Functional Patterns?  Simply put, it’s a class of exercise that trains my body for the activities of daily life. It prepares me for basic movements like gait, pushing, pulling, squatting, rotating, etc. and to do them safely.  It also prepares me for situations when movements are unpredictable such as when my foot landed unexpectedly on a wet rock on that Duluth beach or the contents in a storage box I’m reaching down suddenly shifts.

 Amy and Ryan customized our sessions to meet my fitness level and goals, both watching how my body moved but also listening to what I told them about areas I struggled in or where I had discomfort. They identified stretches and muscle relaxation moves that I could easily do on my own to ease the neck and shoulder stiffness I often suffered from the stress of long-days at a desk job.  In addition to results they’ve tracked for me like being able to do more reps, increased weights, master more complex moves, and more stamina for planks etc., I am feeling so much more confident in my body and feel great. I look forward to my sessions and find it easy to stay motivated to follow their recommendations for home mini-workouts. And when I was in Duluth a few weeks ago I didn’t hesitate to get out on those rocks along the beach.  I was careful but confident in my balance and agility.

Roxanne Oswald is an IT professional and mother to Aaron Boike, owner of 3Click Fitness. She struggled with obesity since childhood and in 2016-17 lost 206lbs and has kept it off by adapting to a Bright Line Eating lifestyle.  She spends significant time with the Bright Line Eating community by being of service to others living the lifestyle and spreading the word to others battling weight and food addiction issues.

Amy Divine is a 3CLICK Fitness Trainer specializing in Functional Patterns. She has been a member of the team since January of 2018. You can learn more about her at https://3clickfitness.com/trainers/amy-divine/

Ryan Parr is a 3CLICK Fitness Trainer specializing in Functional Patterns as well as traditional strength and weight training for a variety of fitness goals. You can learn more about him at https://3clickfitness.com/trainers/ryan-parr/