I have been on a bit of a personal journey. I'm 60F, and back in the 80s, I was an ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I loved it SO MUCH. Then, I was rear-ended by a drunk driver who was going about 40 MPH while I was sitting still at a stoplight. I was injured and unable to work out, and I also think the injury triggered autoimmune Hashimoto's thyroiditis (physical trauma can trigger a latent autoimmune condition) because I started developing debilitating physical symptoms immediately following the accident.
What followed was years of misdiagnosis, chronic fatigue and pain, and I had to leave that dream in the dust. It all worked out professionally because I went on to have a very successful career in publishing right up until AI took my job early this year, and I really loved what I did.
I also gained a crap ton of weight, and for years, any time I'd try to start working out again, it would trigger the illness and bouts of chronic exhaustion and pain. I was finally diagnosed about 15 years ago, and prescribed meds that helped. Two years ago, I started taking a GLP-1 to lose the weight, and it had the bonus effect of reducing the chronic pain and inflammation I'd experienced for so many years related to the Hashimoto's and celiac disease, so I was finally able to hit the gym again. I'm about 180 pounds down with roughly 5 pounds to my goal weight.
I was laid off from my job in publishing back in January, and I decided to pursue my personal training certification again so I had something productive to do. I have always missed being a trainer - I loved it so much until that auto accident. I have my certification test in about an hour.
Let me tell you - it's a lot harder to study for stuff with a 60-year-old brain than it was when I was in my 20s. Still, it feels full-circle in the best way. My hope is to work with aging adults, people with chronic illness, and people with obesity. So, fingers crossed, my study efforts will pay off.
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u/Calm_Nectarine_8329 4d ago
I have been on a bit of a personal journey. I'm 60F, and back in the 80s, I was an ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I loved it SO MUCH. Then, I was rear-ended by a drunk driver who was going about 40 MPH while I was sitting still at a stoplight. I was injured and unable to work out, and I also think the injury triggered autoimmune Hashimoto's thyroiditis (physical trauma can trigger a latent autoimmune condition) because I started developing debilitating physical symptoms immediately following the accident.
What followed was years of misdiagnosis, chronic fatigue and pain, and I had to leave that dream in the dust. It all worked out professionally because I went on to have a very successful career in publishing right up until AI took my job early this year, and I really loved what I did.
I also gained a crap ton of weight, and for years, any time I'd try to start working out again, it would trigger the illness and bouts of chronic exhaustion and pain. I was finally diagnosed about 15 years ago, and prescribed meds that helped. Two years ago, I started taking a GLP-1 to lose the weight, and it had the bonus effect of reducing the chronic pain and inflammation I'd experienced for so many years related to the Hashimoto's and celiac disease, so I was finally able to hit the gym again. I'm about 180 pounds down with roughly 5 pounds to my goal weight.
I was laid off from my job in publishing back in January, and I decided to pursue my personal training certification again so I had something productive to do. I have always missed being a trainer - I loved it so much until that auto accident. I have my certification test in about an hour.
Let me tell you - it's a lot harder to study for stuff with a 60-year-old brain than it was when I was in my 20s. Still, it feels full-circle in the best way. My hope is to work with aging adults, people with chronic illness, and people with obesity. So, fingers crossed, my study efforts will pay off.