SALT LAKE CITY — Hitting the gym and trying to burn flab abs and lose weight is hard for most people. But there is one person that has been dedicated to exercise her body and lost 100 pounds in the last 6 years. She can’t walk.
“On the way home from a golf course, I got in an accident and broke my back,” she explains.
Emily Christensen has been in a wheelchair for 16 years after the accident. She started to put on weight since she can’t use her lower body. If you are looking for an excuse to start working out or doing some crunches, think of Emily, she can’t do any of those on her own.
“[At] my heaviest I was 300 pounds. That was in 2004,” Emily says.
emily-burn-flab-abs-newsDespite her disable legs, she moved on and lost 50 pounds before gain it all back while going to school for masters.
“A year ago is when I started at the wellness center,” Emily says.
Neuroworx Wellness Center in South Jordan is a special gym for people with disability like Emily and those with nerve damages. She worked out a lot and very dedicated to her work.
“I lift weights, and I use a machine called The New Step,” Emily says. The machine works her upper body.
The amazing thing is she didn’t even have a personal trainer, just some assistant. She has a wonderful motivation that most people doesn’t have. All I’m saying is if Emily can lose 100 pounds, you can get a six pack abs.
“The rest of us have our bodies. We have our legs, which are large muscles that burn a lot of calories; she’s had to do that just using her upper body,” sayd Dr. Dale Hull, co-founder of the Nueroworx Wellness Center.
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Another challenge Emily faces because of the accident is her body overheats easily, so she can’t push it too hard. She says even when she doesn’t feel like going to the gym, she does, and it’s paying off.
“The other day, I weighed and I was 199 — passed off that 200!” Emily says.
But she’s not done yet.
“I still want to lose another 40 pounds, get stronger and be able to get around better,” she says.
Emily is on a local wheelchair tennis team too. She says NBC’s Biggest Loser show inspired her to get moving, and still inspires her!
If you’re inspired too, experts recommend you talk with your doctor before you start any exercise or diet regime.