The show description/idea I am providing is about myself. Please read my story/bio below:
This is my story and how it took overcoming many challenges for me to find my purpose in life.
My name is Amy Lutzel (36 years old) and I have a Bachelor's degree from the University of ...
The show description/idea I am providing is about myself. Please read my story/bio below:
This is my story and how it took overcoming many challenges for me to find my purpose in life.
My name is Amy Lutzel (36 years old) and I have a Bachelor's degree from the University of Southern Indiana where I took a number of health-related and physical education courses. I am also certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer and by the American Red Cross as a Professional Rescuer. I am currently working towards receiving my indoor group cycling and Silver Sneakers Instructor certifications.
I have been active in exercise and sports most of my life, however, I was incapacitated for nearly ten years due to three spinal fusion surgeries. (I had two knee surgeries prior to this.) I went to chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, an acupuncturist, several orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and neurologists for treatments and second and third opinions, and I had to see a pain management doctor to receive several nerve blocks and cortisone injections and be put on several pain medications. This caused me to gain a lot of weight and may have contributed to an illness which put me in the hospital three years ago. I was on the verge of having to go on disability because I was so bad off physically. I also developed high blood pressure during all of this and had to be put on medication for that, too.
In 2008, I developed an illness called gastroparesis which led me all the way to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for some tests. Not to mention that one of the medications I was taking for this illness caused severe depression and anxiety. While I am doing better now, I have come to realize that stress does a lot of horrible things to the human body. This is yet another reason why exercise does the body good! My mother, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer 16 years ago, had a recurrence and it has now metastasized to her bones and three lymph nodes. Her lifestyle changes associated with diet and exercise and reducing stress have helped her tremendously. We both thank God every day for our health.
Taking care of my health through diet, exercise, and reducing stress is what helped me get back to an active lifestyle and lose most the weight I had put on. After going through all of these health problems, I decided I wanted to work in the health industry so that I could help people like myself. I work as a personal trainer at the Welborn Foundation Wellness & Fitness Center at Ivy Tech Community College, the YMCA in Evansville, Indiana, and in retirement homes assisting others in helping reach their fitness goals and overcome obstacles like I did. I also handle all the Youth Wellness Orientations at the YMCA and train people in their homes. I also lead a walking group at Ivy Tech Community College in Evansville with over 50 particpants and I teach a group exercise class at a local retirement home. As you can see, I love working with people of all ages. My dream job is to create a new position in one of the hospitals working with patients and helping them overcome illnesses and injuries through exericse and a healthy lifestyle. I also enjoy speaking to different groups about how exercise has helped me. I am eager to share my story with others in hopes that it will inspire and give hope to others. I have several speaking engagements lined up in the coming months.
I am feeling better than I have in a very long time and I owe most of this to my exercise regime. I have come a really long way and hope to continue down the road to a healthy lifestyle. I competed in my first triathlon which took place on August 15, 2009. My goal is to compete in an Olympic triathlon in 2010. I never thought it was possible to accomplish something like this with all my prior injuries and health problems. Now, I know ANYTHING is possible!
Your health is the most important thing in life. It is so important to eat healthy, stay in shape, and remain as stress-free as possible. That's not easy for everyone to do with busy schedules and certain health problems, but nonetheless, it is very important to make this a top priority. My goal is to help you do that! I started up a health and wellness group on Facebook a few months ago and it currently has over 700 fans and still growing.
The purpose of this group is to provide convenient and helpful information and tips on wellness and fitness. It’s never too late to start healthy lifestyle habits. I hope that you will find this information helpful and put it to good use. As you can see, exercise and staying healthy has done wonders for me!
I hope you will seriously consider my story as an upcoming topic on your show. Thank you!
~Amy Lutzel
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