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Joy Kushner Got Her Life Back After Two Car Accidents
Being involved in two car accidents, Joy Kushner was determined to reassess her life through positive self-talk.
What was your turning point?
After two motor vehicle accidents, I knew that something had to change. I had suffered with chronic pain for over a year and was injured. My body had been pushed incredibly hard and, rather than listening to it, I just kept at it.
Even though I knew better, my desire to lean out clouded my judgment and I did way too much cardio and skipped planned rest days instead of training wisely. Of course, this did not work out the way I wanted it to. I ended up losing muscle, not recovering as quickly, and causing more pain. I remember crying to my husband about my fears of losing my personal training studio because I no longer looked the part.
How did you change mindset?
I finally followed the advice that I would give my clients. I listened to my body and focused on building core strength in a safe manner. This started with controlling my thoughts and I only spoke kindly to myself. I changed my goal from looking good to feeling good again. There was also more time devoted to stretching, foam rolling and focusing on getting enough rest while doing more yoga and eliminating some exercises from my routines that caused aggravation. As I slowly changed these habits, I regained a physique that I was happy with.
What was the first step you took towards gaining control?
I chose to be thankful for an hour without pain, or being able to make it through an entire workout. Rather than berating myself for being weaker than I used to be, I included exercises at the beginning of each workout that I knew I could do well and focused on positive self-talk. I chose not to critique my body or allow negative thoughts about my looks, progress, or abilities.
How did you change your diet in the beginning?
I made it a goal to buy, prep, and eat as many veggies as possible each day. I also focused on eating organic protein and whole foods. Instead of putting food into good and bad categories I have learned to find a place in my diet for all food without any feelings of guilt or deprivation.
When did you get serious?
After giving birth, I decided to enter my first figure competition as a goal to get back into shape. I fell in love with the process and ended up winning. I wanted to learn more and became a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). After winning the next two competitions, I took a leap of faith by leaving my job as a surgical technologist, and opened up a women-only personal training studio called Joy Personal Training.
I don’t compete anymore, but I’m thankful for those years that taught me the importance of balance, training and dedication.
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