Joe, a long-time Kettering resident, has been an avid runner and member of the Kettering Fitness and Wellness Center for over a decade. He first took up running in 2014 with the goal of completing a 5K race, which he accomplished that November. Since then, Joe has gone on to complete over 100 races, usually joined by his wife who is also a member of the fitness center.
However, Joe hit some roadblocks over the past year that significantly impacted his running. In June 2022, he injured his ankle during a race. This year brought an unrelated minor surgery, another leg injury to his calf, and a nasty 3-week respiratory illness. Understandably, Joe’s fitness regimen took a major hit from these setbacks. Despite his usual workouts, he struggled to regain the level of running performance he had prior to the ankle injury.
Looking for a solution, this past July Joe turned to the trainers at the Kettering Fitness and Wellness Center. He worked specifically with Michael Freeman to incorporate strength training exercises into his routine, complementing his running workouts. Joe also tweaked his actual run training as well.
The extra attention and specialized training routine paid off. In December Joe reached a major milestone – finishing a 5K in less than 25 minutes for the first time since his ankle injury over a year prior. He credits the facilities, equipment, trainers, and overall support from the Kettering Fitness staff in helping him overcome his injury struggles and finally hitting this goal.
Joe’s story highlights the comprehensive health and fitness services available at the Kettering Wellness Center. Whether recovering from an injury, training for an event, or improving overall wellbeing, the center provides members with resources, equipment, classes, and trainers to help them achieve their fitness goals. Joe’s renewed running success story will hopefully inspire other members dealing with setbacks to take advantage of all the center offers!