MEANINGFUL OCCUPATION FEATURE me along the way , helping me to learn more about strength training and its benefits .
With one session a week , we worked on my overall fitness , building full body strength , mobility and improving the stabilising muscles around my abdominal muscles that had been weakened during surgery . Eventually we progressed to compound movements such as deadlift , bench press and barbell squats .
As well as the more visible changes , like fat loss and muscle definition , strength training also helped to keep some of the menopause symptoms at bay . It helped with insomnia , reduced the frequency of hot flushes and improved my mood .
It also offered longer-term benefits , such as supporting bone density , and would reduce the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis as a result of a lack of oestrogen production .
But I think , more importantly , it gave me a way to reclaim back some control of the body that had caused me so much trauma , and along the way powerlifting had become a meaningful occupation .
I made steady progress in both strength and technique , soon having the confidence to train alone in the gym in between personal training sessions . Having met this year .
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As occupational therapists we frequently support others through injury , accident and times of change , but in my experience we are not very good at taking our own advice , or maybe that ’ s just me ?
most goals we set , and now on a powerlifting-specific training plan , I was asked by Naomi if I wanted to take on another challenge and compete in an amateur competition .
This was initially met with a lot of laughter from me , but I decided why not .
Powerlifting athletes train specifically to increase the amount of weight they can safely and effectively move during the key movements of deadlift , bench press and back squat . Naomi devised a competition training programme and I set to it , training four times a week .
Just as I had got into a good rhythm , COVID-19 struck and the gyms closed for the best part of a year . It was during this time I realised how much training had become imbedded into my routine and the impact it really had on my health and wellbeing .
The gyms reopened in April , and with the competition rescheduled for the end of May it did not leave much time to prepare . I trained five days a week and prioritised recovery and sleep . I had so many second thoughts in the lead up to the competition , and had a big case of imposter syndrome .
The date came around quickly . As a ‘ newbie ’ I was the first up for each lift , which made it even more nerve-racking , but the whole community was so supportive in cheering me on and I had Naomi and other experienced lifters to walk me through the whole experience .
The regional that I competed in was uniquely special , as it was the only weekend that had a whole day for women ’ s lifting . It is usually tagged onto the final day of the men ’ s heats , but this time there were so many women we needed our own day .
Women aged from 17 to over 75 turned up to show their hard work and strength and it was just amazing to see . There was a sense of solidarity in the air . We hadn ’ t long been out of lockdown and people just felt excited to be doing something they love again .
I had placed no expectation on myself and was going purely for the experience . I ended the day with three personal bests , a gold medal for coming first in my weight category , and an invitation to represent Great Britain in the European Championships in August
I continued to train and prepare for the European Championships , but with COVID-19 travel restrictions still in place it was clear that not all European competitors were going to be able to make the championships .
However , many did , and the competition ran over five days in Manchester . This event also included a juniors category and seeing the mental strength and maturity these 14 years old and overs brought to the platform was surreal . By the end of the day , I had achieved a further three personal bests and third place in my group . I also had the privilege to witness two friends and teammates take World Records , one of whom turned 75 that same week and walked away with the ‘ Best Lifter ’ award .
Through my recovery I have met so many incredible people who are all on their own journey , but still willing to share their time and knowledge . I have grown in so many ways and surprised myself by what my body and mind is capable of achieving through patience and consistency ( and much moaning ).
This experience has reminded me that good things do come out of difficult situations , sometimes they aren ’ t the things you wanted or expected but that ’ s not always a bad thing .
With support from the Elizabeth Casson Trust , Kirsty Hughes is now embarking on a project to develop her own skills in health and fitness , with a view to helping clients become ‘ Fit for Occupation ’ and supporting them to engage in physical activity and creatively manage long term conditions through holistic practice . You can find out more about this by following her on Twitter at @ Kirstie _ OT with the hashtag # Fit4Occupation .
Kirstie Hughes , social care occupational therapist and trainer
OTnews November 2021 33