Year Three and Still Reaching New Levels!

This amazing testimonial comes to us from CKO Totowa member, Jamie Shahin

In her own words…
Fitness has always been a part of my life, but two years ago my lower back began to hurt with no apparent injury. I even got to the point where I was no longer able to do my traditional gym activities such as lifting, running, and cycling. Then daily activities like walking, sitting, working, and driving were all becoming a challenge. I had gone to countless doctors, chiropractors, and did months of physical therapy. Nothing was helping and no one could figure out why I was having the pain. The doctors started talking about more MRI’s, cortisone shots, and even surgery. As a result I was discouraged, stopped being active, and gained almost 25 pounds.

I realized that my new lifestyle was not who I was, and I became extremely frustrated that I was not active anymore. Several friends of mine had been talking about CKO Kickboxing and how much they loved it. I was nervous that I would not be able to do it because of my back, but I was ready to make a change and get myself better without medical help. That was when I signed up for a free trial class at CKO Totowa. I was addicted immediately! My first class was with Sherrie, who I could tell was passionate about fitness. She made sure that I was doing the moves correctly in order to get the maximum results from my workout. I remember my first class being the most challenging thing I had ever done… yet I loved every minute of it. I signed up for a year commitment that night and it was the best thing I ever did! CKO Totowa not only got me back to being enthusiastic about fitness, but within a few short months, my back pain went away. All of my doctors were amazed that I was able to get better on my own. I think the focus on core and total body strength was what got me back to being healthy. I lost almost 20 pounds in the first year and to this day I have had no more back problems.

In the last two years, I have taken every instructor’s class and it still amazes me how passionate they are about what they do. One of the most unique things about CKO Kickboxing is that there are people of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels who are all doing the same class. The instructors challenge everyone to be their best and to work hard, all while making it fun. I love the classes so much that I plan my schedule around them!

Recently, I decided to make my health and fitness level more of a priority, so I started going to CKO Kickboxing 4-5 times a week. In the last three months, I’ve lost 8 more pounds, putting me back at the weight I was before my back injury. Not only did my injury go away and I lost all of the weight, but I am in better shape, more muscular, and my endurance has increased. CKO Kickboxing has given me the confidence to try new exercises and activities that I never thought I would be able to do, such as handstands and hanging crunches on the bag. Because of CKO Kickboxing and the awesome instructors, I am a completely different person both physically and mentally. I can say with certainty that if it weren’t for CKO, I may have given up completely on exercise and my health. I will be going on year three as a CKO Kickboxing member, and I can’t wait to see what new levels I will reach!