I have owned and operated a gymnastic studio for over fifteen years.
- I’ve worked as a high school cheerleading coach for over ten years.
The nature of my job demands that I keep myself in good physical shape. Whether I’m guiding my gymnastic students through new or difficult skills or spotting cheerleading mounts, I need to be hands on. I am frequently required to support the body weight of girls who are taller and heavier than I am. To prevent injury to both the kids and myself, I take very good care of myself. I am conscientious about eating healthy, getting the recommended amount of sleep and drinking plenty of water. I workout every single day. Although my job is physically strenuous, it’s not enough to keep me fit. I need to focus on strength training, range of motion, balance and stamina. Stretching and flexibility are extremely important. Despite my efforts, I often feel stiff, sore and exhausted at the end of a long day. My muscles ache and get fatigued. However, I rarely suffer any major injuries. I usually feel just fine after a night’s sleep and a thorough stretch. The worst injury I have dealt with was a torn psoas muscle. It happened when I was spotting a roundoff back handspring and the cheerleader veered away from me. I needed to overextend myself to reach her. At the time, I only felt a slight twinge in my right thigh. The pain steadily worsened as the day went on. By that evening, it hurt so badly that I couldn’t sit down, walk up the stairs or sleep. Because that muscle extends from the butt cheek down the leg all the way to the knee, I was extremely hindered in what I could do. The recovery time of that muscle was over six months.