Ava Whitehead - Mixing it up and overcoming obstacles!

Ava Whitehead is OSI's spotlight member of the month!!! She has been working out with us for 9 months and we love having her in class!  She is the Program Director at Agapé Kure Beach Ministries; her schedule varies so Ava is able to come to classes at all different times with different trainers, which is great!  Her determination to improve her health and the accomplishments she has made encourage everyone around her to push harder.  Congratulations on being our spotlight member Ava and keep up your hard work!!! How did you hear about/what made you decide to try OSi? I noticed OSi sitting at the intersection waiting for the light to come into town and got curious. It was a perfect timing as I was feeling I needed a new way to stay active consistently beyond walking/hiking but knowing that a typical gym wasn't going to be it. What did you initially think about our form of movement and resets? I thought resets were just going to be a centering and stretching. I had no idea it would make such a big difference so fast. Have you noticed anything in everyday life that is easier to do or you are able to do better? Everything. An everyday piece I noticed recently is I sit in a squat for most anything I do on the ground or when I get down to work with kids. I don't have to kneel or sit all the way because I have the strength to sit in a squat which is incredibly helpful working with kids outside. My favorite change has been wakeboarding a few weeks back. I have been wakeboarding and skiing since I was a little kid but have never really been able to do much or progress. This year I was up for longer runs and multiple in a day. I was comfortable with riding instead of fatigued and it meant I was able to do a lot more. It was so more fun with the strength I have gained. What is your favorite thing to do at OSi and Why? I enjoy the sled these days because it was difficult in the beginning. I would get winded and trigger asthma for the first few months every time I really pushed myself on the sled. Recently I am able to push and improve without trouble or fear of it. My favorite is throwing the medicine ball and slamming it to the ground. I find it therapeutic. What has been one of your biggest obstacles when it comes to sticking to your health/weight loss/exercise game plan in the past? My biggest obstacles have probably been consistency and boredom. I struggled to stick to any kind of exercise that was the same thing every time. I couldn't find the motivation to use weight machines or cardio machines in the same place and the same way over and over again. I also didn't have any accountability in that setting. How has OSi helped/is helping you presently to overcome that obstacle? OSi is the opposite of everything I described above. There is something new and different every week. There is an element of play in everything and the group classes adds community and accountability. I don't struggle to be consistent, I look forward to the next session. What is your proudest achievement at OSi? My proudest achievement was a five-minute wall sit a few weeks ago without realizing it had been the five minutes. I had knee surgeries in middle school and wall sits were part of my physical therapy regiment. I hated them. It was a struggle every time and painful. When they were a station during a small group, I didn't have high expectations of staying in the position for long. I got distracted talking and the timer went off for the end of 5 minute rotation. It wasn't a huge accomplishment, but a big change for me and one I am proud of. If you are interested in joining us at OSI we have a couple options including; one on one training, group training, and a $29 2 week trial. For more information about OSI or to register for classes, check out http://www.originalstrengthinstitute.com.