I can’t. I’m scared. I’ll look stupid. I’m not strong enough.

Those are phrases I hear often from my new clients and while I dislike the lack of self-confidence it exposes within a person, I must admit that those very words are what I’m here to conquer.

Real Pain

So when I met Sarah Oglesby two years ago to begin training and learned that her “I can’t” was backed up by a medical diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis, I knew I couldn’t walk into a session without a list of alternative exercises that could not only strengthen her but also prevent painful joint flare ups.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a long-term disease affecting joints and surrounding tissue. This condition hasn’t made Sarah’s journey to stay active physically or mentally easy. You can learn more about Rheumatoid Arthritis by visiting the Arthritis Foundation website here.

While Sarah has the normal scheduling conflicts that busy career oriented women have it’s also almost impossible for her to simply open up the latest issue of Fitness Magazine, walk into a gym, and begin whatever workout of the month they have published in that issue. She has also been made to feel like a nuisance in group fitness classes and been told to simply, walk on the treadmill.

Jingle Bell Run

While Sarah battles daily with RA and the stigma that comes with her diagnosis, it has also become a motivating force for her. She has worked tremendously hard towards organizing the 5th annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis Foundation in our area to help raise money and much needed awareness for RA. For a complete list of Alabama’s Jingle Bell Runs, visit their website.

The Huntsville run/walk will take place at Columbia High School on November 18th and is an great event for the entire family. The day includes a variety of runs/walks, each taliored to different age groups. And festive holiday attire is encouraged, as you can see from the photo at the left.

And I’m proud to say Sarah has asked us at Sweat Fitness Studio to be there to help warm up the crowd. For more information on the day’s activities, visit the Huntsville Jingle Bell Run/Walk event page here. [spacer size=”0″]

Schedule

Here’s the schedule for the day:

REGISTRATION – Event Day Registration will be available from 12pm-1:30pm.
1 MILE FUN RUN/WALK: 1:30-2:00 pm
jingle bell run team
5th ANNUAL JINGLE BELL 5K RUN: 2:00-3:00 pm
SANTA CHASE: 3:00 pm – 3:15 pm. Kids line up and see if you can catch Santa before he heads back to the North Pole! For children 5 and under.
REINDEER DASH: 3:15-3:30pm. Lace up your running shoes and get ready for the 50 yard reindeer dash!!! Prizes for the winners!! For kids 6-12 years old
AWARDS CEREMONY: 3:30-4:00pm. Runners hang around for the Best part of the race! Fleet Feet Gift Cards and commemorative Jingle Bell Run medals for top 3 male and female finishers, top 3 overall winners, master and grand master awards.

Truly, it’s an honor to be a part of a fundraiser to combat a disease we know very little about. It’s alarming that RA can affect a middle aged man just the same as a young woman in her 20’s like Sarah and we have yet to even find the cause! I hope to see a large crowd ready for a fun event. I promise during my warm up to have options and modifications for every fitness level and and keep those joints flare up free!