TaylorDove

HONR3791
Dr.Warner
31March2016

FromSidelineAthletetoTeamCoach
Ibelievehumansoftenwonder:"Whatisthekeytoachievingasuccessful,strong,and
viablelife?"Tome,theanswerisquitesimple

forallorganisms,fitnessiscentralto
succeedinginlife.Wecandefinefitnessinthreeways:first,astheconditionofbeingphysically
fitandhealthysecond,asthequalityofbeingsuitabletofulfillaparticularroleortaskand
third,asanorganismsabilitytosurviveandreproduce.Remarkably,wecanattainallthree
typesoffitnessthroughonemodality

exercise.Exercisecanimproveyourphysicalfitnessas
thereappearstobealinearrelationshipbetweenphysicalactivityandhealthstatusinthatthat
increasedexercisewillleadtoimprovedhealthstatus(
Warburton,etal.,2006).
Whenitcomes
tobeingsuitablyfittofulfillaparticularroleortask,exerciseimprovesourabilitytoperform
ADLsorActivitiesofDailyLiving,suchascarryinggroceries,walkingupstairs,ordoingyard
work(
Chou,HwangandWu,2012
).Finally,exerciseiseffectiveinpostponingmortalityand
enhancinglongevity(Sheet,2011).Whetheritbeourbrainfunction,ourphysicalbodies,orour
emotionalhealth,wemustexercisewithincreasingintensitytoattainimprovementratherthan
regressionormaintenance.
Withregardstomuscularfitness,theoverloadprinciplestatesthatonemustcontinueto
applyanovelstimulusinordertoseeprogression.Fromamuscularlevel,wecallthe
requirementtoassignaworkoutthatisofgreaterintensitythananathleteisusedtoinorderto
produceincreasedfitness,"theoverloadprinciple"(Baechle&Earle,2000).Morespecifically,
anathletemustintroduceoverloadintohisorhertrainingregimeninordertoincrease
performanceandskilllevel.Forexample,ifafootballplayersgoalistoincreaseupperbody

strength,hemustprogressivelyincreasetheweightheisliftingduringhisstrengthtrainingto
improvehisupperbodymuscularstrength.Overloading,orapplyinganovelstimulus,helps
improveskilllevel.Oncethebodyhasadaptedtoastimulus,anewerstimulusmustbe
introducedtocontinuethechangeanddevelopment.Inorderforamuscle,includingtheheart,
toincreasestrength,itmustbegraduallystressedbyworkingagainstaloadgreaterthanwhich
itisaccustomedto.Toincreasecardiovascularendurance,musclesmustworkforalonger
durationthantheyareaccustomedto.Whenastressisremoved,alossincertainadaptations
occurs.Maintenanceoftheskillorfitnesswilloccurwhenanormalamountofexerciseis
enacted.
MythreeyearjourneyatUNCCharlotteexemplifiesthisoverloadprinciplesuperbly.

To
elicitgrowthadaptations,amusclerequiresastressorstimulus.Ibelievethissamemodelof
growththatamuscleenduresalsooccursinthehumanmindcausingdevelopment.Iunderwent
fivestagesofdevelopmentinmycollegecareer.Modeledafterstagesanathletemay
experienceduringtheirsportingcareer,thestagesIhavedefinedareasfollows:(1)Sideline
Athlete:anathletewhoobservesthegamefromthesidelineandsitsoutmajorityofthegame,
(2)FirstStringStartingAthlete:animpactfulteamplayerwhostartsthegameandplaysmajority
ofthegame,(3)InjuredBenchedAthlete:anathletewhohasexperiencedaninjurywhichhas
forcedthemtositoutofthegameonthebench,(4)TeamCaptain:anhonorarytitlegiventoa
teammemberwhoisresponsibleforleadingbyexample,and(5)TeamCoach:aleaderwho
presentswisdomtoathletesandteachestheirteamvaluableinformationwhilemotivatingthem
toreachtheirgoals.
IenteredUNCCharlotteasatransferstudentanobservercomparabletoanathleteon
thesidelines.Iwasnotinvolvedinstudentorganizations,Iwasnotemployed,butIdidnotwant
toremainonthesidelines.IyearnedtobecomeinvolvedintheUNCCharlottecommunityand

establishasignificantpresenceamongmypeers.Equippedwiththeproperfacilities,influential
mentors,andthephysicalandmentalexerciseswhichpushedmetoanintensityIwas
unaccustomedto,Iwastransformedintoa"coach"oftheUNCCharlotte"team."Aswithmuscle
stimulation,therewereeventsandpersonsthatstimulatedmygrowthintoaleaderandrole
modeloftheUNCCharlottecommunity.Applyingtheoverloadprincipletotasksinmylifemade
animpactonmydevelopmentpersonally,professionally,andacademically.Ievolvedintoa
teamcoachoverthecourseofthreeyears.
Myjourneywillbeshowcasedthroughfivestagesandnineartifacts:theUNCCharlotte
FitnessCenter,myStrongistheNewSkinnydocumentary,myHonors3700FinalPortfolio
TitlePage:CHANGE?,aheadsetmicrophone,apairofyellowAsicsrunningshoes,agraphic
ofwind,awebsitetitled"TrainWithTaylor,"myHonorsSeniorTEDTalk,andmyPerformance
UnlimitedInternship.
STAGE1:SIDELINEATHLETE
UponfirstarrivingatUNCCharlotte,I
spentthemajorityofmytimeintheUNC
CharlotteFitnessCenter.Thegymwas
whereIfeltIfitinmost,andcouldrelease
anystressoranxiety.LittledidIknowhow
influentialthefacilitywouldbeindirectingmeontherightpathformylifepurpose.Itwas
adddropweekinmyfirstsemesteratUNCCharlottewhenIdecidedtobringmyroommate
alongwithmetoexerciseinthefitnesscenter.AsIbeganteachingherhowtousethevarious
strengthmachinesandtakingherthroughaworkoutregimen,afeelingofeffortlessenjoyment
overcameme.Iwasexperiencingflow,astateofconcentrationsofocusedthatitamountsto
absoluteabsorptioninanactivityallowingustofeeloptimalpleasure(Csikszentmihalyi,2014).

NamedbypositivepsychologistMihlyCskszentmihlyi,flowisoftenreferredtoas
beinginthezone.AccordingtoCsikszentmihlyi,flowisasinglemindedimmersion
encompassedbysixfactors:(1)Intenseandfocusedconcentrationonthepresentmoment(2)
mergingofactionandawareness(3)lossofreflectiveselfconsciousness(4)senseof
personalcontroloverthesituationortheactivity(5)onessubjectiveperceptionoftimeis
alteredand(6)theactivityisintrinsicallyrewarding(Csikszentmihalyi,2014).Inflow,thehuman
bodyisnotcapableofdecidingwhatitwantstofocusitsattentionon.Oneissoengrossedin
theiractivitythattheysubconsciouslyloseawarenessofsurroundingsituations,time,andeven
theirmostbasicbodilyneeds.Thisphenomenonoccursbecauseonesmindcanonlyreceivea
certainamountofinformationatatime.InCsikszentmihaylisTEDtalkin2004,herevealedthat
thehumanbraincanonlyattendto110bitsofinformationpersecond(McGuinness,2015).To
putthisinperspective,whendecodingaconversationittakesabout60bitsofinformationper
second,thuswehavedifficultyfocusingourattentiononotherthings(McGuinness,2015).
Hence,inthestateofflow,thesesixfactorsoccur,includinglossofawareness,becauseallof
ourattentionisbeingplaceduponthetaskathand.Therefore,thereisnomoreattentiontobe
allocatedtootherthings.
ReferringbacktothemomentinwhichIwaspersonaltrainingmyroommate,Ihadan
epiphanythatteachingothersabout
workingoutgavemeasenseofpurpose
andcompletefulfillment.Lookingatthe
charttotheright,thexaxisrepresents
increasingabilityorskilllevelwhilethe
yaxisrepresentsincreasingchallenge.
Optimalexperience,orflow,occurswhen

bothvariablesarehigh.Whentrainingmyselforothers,Iobtainedasenseofarousaland
control.ThekeyisthatIfeltbothofthesefeelings.Arousalcamefrommyexcitementtoplana
workout,teachmyclientbeneficialexercisesandtoseemyclientssucceedinginbetteringtheir
health.Thecontrolcamefrommyconfidenceofteachingandmyknowledgeoftheexercises.
Combined,duringtraining,Iwouldcomeintoahighenergystateofexcitementandjoy
propellingmeintothestateofflow.
Today,theUNCCharlotteFitnessCenter,isarepresentationofmylifechanging
decisiontochangemymajorinthemiddleofadddropweek.Itooktheriskofgoingfroma
biologymajoronaPreVeterinarytracktobecominganExerciseSciencemajor.Ididnotknow
whereitwouldtakeme,butifthepreveterinarytrackfailed,Iwouldbeleftwithabachelorof
scienceinbiology.Atthattime,whenIenvisionedmyselfgraduatingasbiologymajorIfearedI
wouldbelimitedtoworkinginalaboratoryfeelingeitherlostorunengaged.Basedonthe
conditionsofflow,IbelieveIwouldhavefallenintothecategoriesofanxiety,worry,or
boredomonthemodelofflow.Thus,Ichangedmymajortoexercisescienceknowingthat
upongraduating,itwasafieldthatwouldgivemeoxygen.Itisthisdecisionthathasmadeall
thedifference.
Oneofmyfirstmental"workouts"wasanassignmenttocreateadocumentaryona
subjectofourchoiceformyEnglish1102class.BeingafrequentattendeeoftheUNCCharlotte
fitnesscenter,Ibecameverytroubledbymyobservationthatthemajorityofpeoplelifting
weightsandperformingresistancetrainingexercisesweremales.Therewasacleargender
divideinthefitnesscenterthatwasoblivioustoanyonewhoentered.Myobservationinspired
metocreateadocumentary,
StrongistheNewSkinny,
asanattempttoinformwomenofthe
numerousbenefitsofstrengthtraininganditsimportancetotheirhealth.Ispecificallywantedto
encouragewomentobeginincorporatingresistancetrainingintotheirexerciseregimens.

Analogoustotheoverloadprinciple,theassignmentbegantoexercisemymindtothepoint
whereIfeltchallengedforthefirsttimetotakemypassionforexercisingandconvertitintoa
belief.HowcouldIbringtotheattentionofotherstheimportanceofstrengthtraining?My
femaleaudiencetypicallypossessedthreefears.Thefirstwasthebeliefinthemyththat
resistancetrainingwillturnthefemalebodyintoamanlyovermuscularbody.Thesecondfear
beingadiscomfortofbeingsurroundedbymales.Thirdly,mostfemalesdidnotknowhowtolift,
andwereafraidtomessupamovementinagymfilledwithmaleswatchingtheireverymove.
Notonlydidresearchsupportmyobservations,butitalsoprovedthemythswomen
believeaboutstrengthtrainingtobe
false.Femalesproduceabout1/10ththe
amountoftestosteronethatmalesdo.
Testosteroneplaysanimportantrolein
hypertrophy,ormusclegrowth,however
theamountoftestosteronewomen
possessisnotenoughtoelicitthe
degreeofmuscularhypertrophythat
malesexperience.Rather,resistancetrainingpromotesalowerdegreeofmuscularhypertrophy
infemalesthatmanypeoplerefertoasmuscletone.Secondly,whilemenandwomen
workouttochangetheirbodytolookattractivetotheoppositesex,theyalsomayaltertheir
workoutroutinestobeacceptedbytheoppositesex.Womanmayfearexhibitingtheirphysical
strengthasthismaynotbeconsidereda"sexappropriate"behaviorfromthesocietal
perspective(Jonason,2007).Inaddition,womenmayfearimproperlycompletelyweightlifting
exercisesinfrontoftheoppositesexorinfrontofmoreexperiencedweightlifters.Mostmen

beginweightliftingatanearlierstageintheirlifethanwoman,sowhenawomandecidesto
weightlift,itisasiftheyare"catchingup"tolearnhowtolift(Dworkin,2003).
Theresultofexercisingmymindbyconductingresearchanddecipheringhowto
persuadewomentoresistancetrainwasamazing.IdeterminedIbelievedphysicalstrengthwas
beautifulandofutmostimportanceforhealthregardlessofwhetheryouareamanorwoman.I
nowpossessedthedesiretospreadthisbelieftoothersandinspirewomentoviewstrength
trainingasempoweringratherthansomethingtheyfearedorfeltwasoutofthefemalegender
norm.Inasocietyboundbystereotypes,itwastimeIstartputtingeffortintobreakingone.
Creating
StrongistheNewSkinny
providedthe"overload"mymindrequiredtoprogressmeto
anewlevelofpersonalbeliefs.
MypersonalbeliefscontinuedtoexpandmysophomoreyearofcollegewhenItookthe
honorsseminarcourseentitled"HONR3700:VisualCultureoftheCivilRightsMovement."
HavinggrownupinapublicschoolsystemIhadunknowinglybecomeaccustomedtoa
censoredversionofAmericanhistory.Thiscourseservedasawakeupcall.WhileIhadalways
consideredmyselftobeapersonwithacolorblindperspectiveontheworldandhumanity,it
wasHONR3700whichdeepenedmyknowledgeandunderstandingofthecivilrights
movementthroughchallenging"exercises."IreferredtomyelementaryeducationastheG
versionofhistorywhichstrovetohighlightAmericaandhideitsshortcomings.Theveilofnaive
racialignorancethatIonceworeslowlybegantolowerasthetruthofthemodernCivilRights
struggleandthesocialissuesfromwhichthemovementarosewerediscussedinHONORS
3790class.Forexample,Iknewmajor
iconsofthemovementsuchasMartin
LutherKing,butIfailedtorecognize
unsungheroessuchasBayardRustin,

agaymanwhohelpedtoorganizetheMarchonWashingtonandothermovementsbutwent
unrecognizedduetohissexuality.IdidnotevenknowthefaceorthepowerfulstoryofEmmett
Till,a14yearoldboywhowaskidnappedbyagroupofwhitemenafterreportedlywhistlingat
awhitewoman.Tillhadbeenbeatenandaneyegougedoutbeforebeingshotthroughthe
headandthrowninariverwithacottonginfantiedaroundhisneckwithbarbedwire.These
arehistoricaltruthsofracisminthesouth,notcandycoatedstoriestwistedtomakethe
Americanmanseeminnocent.
MytitlepageforthefinalportfolioassignmentinHonors3700

exemplifiesmy

deepened
understandingofracialcultureinAmerica.I
attemptedtoillustratemyowninterpretationofhow
racisminourcountryhasslightlyregressed,while
questioningifwehadcompletelychangedour
collectiveviewsonraceandendedracism.Thepage
issplitverticallydownthecentercreatingahalfwhite
sideandhalfblacksiderepresentingtheracialdivide
IfeelisstillpresentinAmericansociety.Fivelarge
capitalizedletterslayacrossthecenterofthepage
reading"CHANGE?"Theimagesinsertedineach
letteroftheword"CHANGE?"arerepresentativeof
thevisualcultureofAmerica'spasttoitspresentincludinganimageofanAfricanAmerican
womanbeingbeatbywhitepoliceofficersin1965toanantiObamabumperstickerwhichreads
"Don'tRenigIn2012."AquotebyToniMorrisoniscenteredtowardthebottomofthepage
reading,"InthiscountryAmericanmeanswhite.Everyoneelsehastohyphenate."Finally,the
courseinformationandmynamedisplayedatthebottomofthepagearefilledingrayto

representthatinourclassroom,myselfandmypeerswereabletofindthegrayareabeyond
thehorridracistimagesandtruthswewereconfrontedwith.
IntheclassroomofHONR3700,mymindwasamuscleconfrontedwiththeheavy
weightofuncomfortabletruths.Thesetruthsultimatelystrengthenedmeasamemberofthe
humanraceandpreparedmeprofessionallyforacareerinwhichbuildingrelationshipswould
beimperativetosuccess.NotonlydidIobtainpersonalgrowththroughanewfound
awarenessofthecivilrightsmovementandamorenuancedunderstandingofracewithin
Americansociety,butwithasolidfoundationofhistoryandculturalawarenessmyabilityto
connectwithpeopleflourished.Connectingtoindividualswithvarioussocialidentitiesand
personalitieswouldbeessentialinmypotentialcareerfieldofstrengthandconditioningwhere
relationshipscanverymuchoutweighexpertise.Inthefieldofstrengthandconditioning,
obtainingajobistypicallyrelatedtowhoyouknowinthefield.Evenifyouaremorequalified
thananothercandidate,iftheemployerdoesnotknowyourname,youwillnotgetthejob.
Honors3790wasextremelybeneficialinhelpingmelearnhowtomarketmyselfinthefield,
becauseitforcedmetohaveuncomfortableconversations.Intheseconversationscentered
aroundracialissues,Ifeltnervousaboutexpressingmyopinionbecauseone,Ididnotwantto
offendanyone,andtwo,Ididnotwanttosoundwrong,oruneducated.
Overthecourseofthesemester,itwastheseuncomfortablediscussionsaboutraceand
confrontingtruthsmademefeelthatIcouldtalkabouthistorywithoutsoundingignorant.Iam
anAmericanandInowunderstoodthebattlesmanyotherAmericanswentthroughduringthe
Civilrightsmovement.Whenitcametothefieldoffitness,uncomfortableconversationsforme
wouldbesales,andnetworking.Relatedtotheoverloadprincipleonceagain,having
conversationsIwasnotusedtoin3790helpedmetotodayhaveconversationswith

experiencedtrainersinthestrengthandconditioningfield.Italsohelpedmebemore
comfortablesellingpackagestoclients,obtainingclients,andknowingmyworthasatrainer.

STAGE2:FIRSTSTRINGSTARTINGATHLETE:SteppingOfftheSidelinesandOntothe
Field
IhadnowreachedapointinmyjourneywhereIhadidentifiedmypassionforfitness
andgrownpersonallyasastudent,butIhadnotyetfoundawaytotranslatethispassionto
others.MyjunioryearIwasassignedafinalprojectinmyFoundationsofPhysicalConditioning
class.Studentswererequiredtoplanafifteenminutefitnessclass.Weweregiventheoptionto
presentthefitnessclassasagrouporindividually.IknewIwouldbemorecomfortableina
groupsetting,butIwasbeginningtoapplytheoverloadprincipletomylife.Likeanoverloaded
muscle,whenIwaspushedoutsidemycomfortzonetodosomethingIwasunaccustomedto,I
progressedmoreasaperson.Ichosetodotheprojectindividually.WhenIperformedthe
fifteenminutestrengthclass,Idecidedtowearourprofessorsmicrophoneheadset.Standingin
frontoftwentyfivestudents,Iheardmyvoiceradiatepowerfullythroughoutthelarge
gymnasium.Iwitnessedeveryonefollowingmyinstructionswhileenjoyingmyclass.Inutilizing
myvoiceandmybody,Icouldputasmileontwentyfivefaces,improvethehealthof
twentyfiveindividuals,andhaveapositiveimpactontwentyfivelivesinjustfifteenminutes.
Theexperiencewaspowerful,confirmingmyloveforteachingotherstoperformexercises
safelyand,justasimportantly,inawaytheycouldtrulyenjoy.
Aftermyperformance,myteachersuggestedIauditiontobecomeagroupfitness
instructorfortheuniversity.Bypushingmyselftocompletetheprojectindependently,IfeltIhad
gainedthefoundationalskillstoteachafitnessclassandsubsequently,InowbelievedIcould
goforthepositionasGroupFitnessInstructor.Justasmyheadsetmicrophoneamplifiedmy

voice,enablingmetogiveothersaprofoundfitnessexperience,performingmyproject
individuallyledmetodiscoverawayIcouldstrengthenthelivesofothersbytranslatingmy
passionintoacareer.
Thefollowingweekendtryoutsforgroupfitnessinstructorswerebeingheld.After
performingmyauditionIwastoldIhadagiftforteachingandmotivatingothers.Igotthejob
andquicklyrealizedIwouldbeneedinganewpairofrunningshoestogivemetheproper
supportandfoundationtobeginmyfitnesscareer.IpurchasedapairofneonyellowAsicsthat
fitmeperfectlyandwereshapedtosupportmyfoottypeinthecorrectway.

Theseshoes(whichIcontinuetoweartoday)haveallowedmetotrainandteachothersaswell
asworkoutmyself.TheyaremysignaturepieceofclothingwhenIteachclassesortrain
clients,identifyingmeasafitnessleader.Inorderfortheoverloadprincipletooccur,onemust
trainwithspecificitytraininganathleteinaspecificwaytoproduceatargetedchangeorresult
(Baechle&Earle,2000).Itisoftenachievedthroughtargetingspecificmusclegroups,energy
systems,andmovementpatterns(Baechle&Earle,2000).Similarly,myshoeswerespecifically
selectedtosupportmyfoottypeandassistedmeinachievingmytargetgoalofbecominga
fitnessleader.TeachingfitnessclasseshasenabledmetotaketheknowledgeIobtainedfrom
myacademickinesiologyclasses,aswellasmybeliefthatfitnessismedicineandsuccessfully

trainothers.Tomethisissopowerfulbecauseitwasmyopportunitytomakeanimpacton
otherslives.Peoplehavetoldme,IwasfeelingsuperstressedouttodayanddecidedIneeded
tocometoyourPilatesclasstobrightenmydayandfeelrejuvenated.Ihavehelped
participantsobtainjobsasfitnessinstructorsorRecreationalServicesstaffbyreferringthemto
mybossforopportunities.Also,Iconstantlyamgivingfitnessandhealthadvice.Iamso
passionateaboutmakinganimpactonotherslivesthatsometimeswhenIamapproachedafter
aclassandaskedafitnessrelatedquestionIwillstayanextra30minutestoanhourtoanswer
theparticipantsquestion.Usuallythisentailsmetakingthemintothefitnesscenterandshowing
themaparticularseriesofexercisesorstretches.SowhileIbeganasanathleteobservingfrom
thesidelines,Iwasnowastarteronthefield.Asagroupfitnessinstructor,glowinginmynew
yellowshoes,IwasmakingmyselfknowntotheUNCCharlottecommunityandbeginningto
becomearolemodelandimpactfulleaderoncampus.

STAGE3:INJUREDATHLETE:StuckontheBench
Atthispoint,myjourneyseemedperfectfromtheoutside,yetitwasfarfromit.Inthe
overloadprinciple,amusclefibermustendureanovelstimuluswhichcausesittobreakdown
beforeitcansynthesizeandremodelintoastrongermusclefiber.Muscleproteinbreakdownis
essentialformusclegrowthtooccur.Bothmuscleproteinbreakdownandmuscleprotein
synthesisareelevatedafterexercise.Whenmuscleproteinsynthesisexceedsmuscleprotein
breakdownmusclegrowthoccurs.However,itisimportanttonotethatwithoutthemuscle
proteinbreakingdown,therewouldbenoincreaseinmusclehypertrophy.Itisanimperative
partofthemusclebuildingprocessandshouldbeembraced.While,exerciseprofoundlyaffects
musclegrowth,nutritionalsoplaysarole.Positivemuscleproteinbalanceisrequiredforthe
positiveadaptationofhypertrophytooccur(Tipton,etal.2001).
Resistanceexercisewill

improvemuscleproteinbalance,butifthebodyisnotproperlynourished,thebalanceremains
negative
(Tipton,etal.2001)
.
Just
asmusclescanbecomestrongerthroughbreakdown,
ironicallyanunforeseeablebreakdownoccurredinmylifewhichhassincecultivatedpositive
growthinmanyareasofmylife.
Atthestartofcollege,Ibeganstrugglingwithepisodesofdepressionandanxiety.They
causedmetofeeldeepsadnessandworrywhichresultedinpoorstressmanagement.My
mentalhealthgraduallyworsenedtothepointthattowardtheendofmyfallsemesterofmy
junioryear,Ibecamephysicallyill.Ihaddevelopedirritablebowelsyndrome,alsocalledspastic
colon,whichwasanintestinaldisordercausingsevereabdominalpain.Althoughmymental
illnesswasnotphysicallyvisible,physiologically,Icouldfeeleverysymptom.Thus,mystruggle
withanxietyanddepressioncouldbeequatedwithwindyoucannotseethewind,butyoucan
feelit.
Thewindisnecessaryfortheearthtofunctionanditsstrengthandeffectsare
determinedbyvariouslevelsofwindspeed.While
stress,anxiety,andevendepressedstatesareneeded
forsurvival,Iwasexperiencinganoveractivenervous
systemwhichIdidnotknowhowtocontrol.Thewinds
ofvariousemotionsbegantoincreaseinspeeduntila
tornadoofemotionalinstabilitybegantoforminmylife.
Iavidlybegantosearchforwaystomanagemy
unbalancedemotionsandstress.
ThefirstmeansofreliefIfoundwasexercise.WhenIbegantofeelmyselffallingintoan
anxiousordepressedstate,Iwouldimmediatelygotothegym.TheanxietyIfeltIwould
describeasafireinmybellyinwhichmynervesfeltasiftheyweredwellinginmystomach,

asmyheartrateandventilationincreased.SometimesIwouldevenbecomeverycoldorshaky.
InmydepressedstateIfeltanunnecessarysadness.WhileIhadnoreasontobeupset,Ifelt
downanddidnotknowwhy.WhenIbegantoexercise,itfeltasifthisexcessnervousenergy
wasreleased.Ialmostalwaysleftthegymfeelingthatmymoodhadimprovedandoverall,Ijust
felthappier.Icouldgotothegymandobtainimmediaterelief.
ThepositivebenefitsofexerciseIwasfeelingwerenotuncommon.Tounderstandthe
effectsexercisehasonmoodwemustbeginatthecellularlevel.Thehumanbodynaturally
producesopioidneurotransmitterswhichactonreceptorstosubsequentlyproduceamorphine
likeeffect.Forexample,
opioidneurotransmittersactivatetheopioidreceptorsonGABA
(
gammaaminobutyricacid)
neurons.WhileGABAtypicallyplaysabrakingroleondopaminergic
cells,theopioidsinhibitthereleaseofGABAallowingthedopaminergicneuronstofiremore
vigorously.Thisreleaseofextradopamineisintenselypleasurable.
Inotherwords,opioidshave
astrongeffectonthereleaseofdopaminewhichpositivelyaffectsourmood.Knowingopioids
effectonemotionalhealth,itisencouragingtoseethatstudieshaveshownthatthe
concentrationofendogenousopioidsinthebloodincreaseinresponsetobothshortboutsof
exerciseandtrainingprograms.Therisesinbetaendorphinbloodconcentrationinresponseto
exercisehavebeenlinkedtopsychologicalandphysiologicalchangessuchasmoodstate
changesandthefeelingofexerciseinducedeuphoria
(ExerciseforStressandAnxiety.,
2014).
ThesecondresourceIbegantoutilizewascounselingwithatherapist.Iwouldattend
therapyprimarilyforthepurposeofhavingsomeonetotalktoaboutwhatIwasexperiencing.I
feltduringcounselingsessionsIfeltasifIwasinajudgefreezone.Mycounselorhadan
unbiasedperspectivesinceshewasnotinvolvedinmydaytodaylife.Furthermore,shehelped
tobringanewperspectivetosituationsIwoulddescribe.Bybeingabletospeakaboutthings,I

feltmorerelieved,butalso,thecounselormademefeellikeIwasnotinsane.Sometimeswhen
Iwasexperiencingmyrollercoasterofemotions,IwoulddothingsthatIfeltwereoutofmy
character.InthosemomentsIbegantofeellikeIwascrazyandstartedtobereallyhardon
myself.Therapyhelpmeseethatmyfearsofbeingalunaticorpsychowerefallacies,and
insteadIwasayoungadultgoingthroughtheobstaclesoflife.
TherapysessionsalsowerearesourceformetolearnmethodsIcouldusetohelp
managemyanxietyanditsunpleasantsymptomsofrapidheartrate,sweating,andexcessive
worry.Forexample,onetoolIobtainedIusedtohelpmefallasleep.AlotoftimeswhenIwas
anxiousIhadtroublegoingtosleepbecauseIhadsomanythoughtsracingthroughmyhead.
Intherapy,mycounselorwalkedmethroughacalmingmethodinwhichIwouldclosemyeyes
andbegintolistenforacertainconstantnoise.Thesoundmaybe
thatofaceilingfan,airconditioning,oralaundrydryer.Iwouldthen
focusallmyattentionsolelyonthatnoise.Next,Iwouldbegintoslow
downmybreathethroughdiaphragmaticbreathing,orbelly
breathing.Inbellybreathing,onedeeplyinhalesthroughthenose,
typicallytoacountof10,andthenslowlyandcompletelyexhalesfor
asimilarcount.
Asairentersthelungs,thediaphragmcontractsand
thebellyexpands.Whenpracticedregularly,deepbreathingtechniquesmayleadtothereliefof
symptomscommonlyassociatedwithstress.Thesesymptomsincludehighbloodpressure,
headaches,stomachconditions,depression,anxiety,andother(NCCIH,2011).Iuseddeep
breathingasarelaxationtechniqueinadditiontoothertechniquesIlearnedincounselingwhich
helpedmetomanagemyanxietyanddepression.
Finally,thepresenceofmyfamilywasextremelyhelpfulalongtheway.Mymother,
father,andtwosisterswerealwayswillingtotalkwithmeandgivemeadvice.Asclicheasit

soundstheyencouragedmetonevergiveup.Assimpleasthismaysounds,therewouldbe
timeswhereIbelievedIwasbestuckinadepressedstateforever.IfeltIhadtriedeverything
andwasstillunhappytothepointwhereIdreadedwakingupeverymorningtofaceanother
day.Withthesupportofmyfamilycoupledwithcounselingandexercise,Ibegantoacceptthat
myemotionswillalwaysbeapartofme,andifmanagedproperly,Icouldutilizethemtopropel
metoahealthierstate.Evenattimeswhendepressionmademefeelextremelylowand
unmotivated,Ineverallowedittopreventmefromachievingmypersonalgoalsorhigh
academicperformance.IfIdidallowittopreventmygoals,thendepressionwouldhavewon
thebattle.IdidnotwantittotakeawayfromwhatIvaluedtobemypersonalsuccesses.
Throughthedailychallengeofbattlingdepression,IrealizedthatIcouldmodelforother
studentsthatleadershipdoesnotmeanattainingperfection,butrather,takingonobstaclesin
strideandovercomingroadblocksonthewaytoachievingindividualandcollectivegoals.Asan
athleteIhadinducedabreakdownandasaresult,Idevelopedanewmindsetthatwould
propelmeintothefinalstageofmyjourney

teamcaptain.
STAGE4:TEAMCAPTAIN
IfinallyfeltthatIhadbecomeateamcaptainatUNCCharlottewhenmyprofession,
passion,academics,andpersonalitywerebroughttogetherinawebsiteIcreatedcalled"Train
WithTaylor."InAugustofmysenioryear,Icreatedthewebsitetopromotemyselfasacertified
personaltrainerandgroupfitnessinstructor.Thewebsiteiscenteredonmyphilosophyon
fitnessthatIformedoverthecourseoffouryears.Ibelievethatfitnesshastheabilitytobepart
ofthecurefordepression,disease,obesity,lowconfidenceandotherthingswetypicallyturn
tomedicinetocontrol.

IcreatedthisphilosophyFitnessistheCurewhenexercisewasmyonly
meansofdepressionandanxietyrelief.Thus,IwassopassionateaboutthisbeliefbecauseI
believedIhadexperiencedafinalcuretomydepressionandanxietythroughphysical

exercise.Ifoundthatmymoodwouldimproveandmuchofmyanxietywasrelieved.However,I
wouldlaterlearnthatusingjustonemodalityoftherapyforanillnessnotnecessarilyalasting
remedy.
Academically,mywebsitehasatablabeled"TheFacts"whichhighlightsscientific
studiesIlearnedofinmyacademicclassesatUNCCharlotte.ThereliefIwasfeelingfrom
anxietyanddepressionbyexercisingwasscientificallybacked,butitwasatemporarymeansof
relief.
Somestudiesshowthatexercisecanworkquicklytoelevatedepressedmoodsinmany
people.Psychologistsstudyinghowexerciserelievesanxietyanddepressionsuggestthata
10minutewalkmaybejustasgoodasa45minuteworkout(ExerciseforStressandAnxiety.
2014).Althoughtheeffectsmaybetemporary,theyshowthatabriskwalkorothersimple
activitycandeliverseveralhoursofrelief,similartoaspirinrelievingthesymptomsofa
headache.
Iamparticularlyfondofastudyonphysicalactivityperformedin1999thatfound
exercisetobejustaseffectiveattreatingdepressionasZoloftmedication(Blumenthal,1999).
156menandwomenwithdepressionweresplitintothreegroups.Group1tookpartinan
aerobicexerciseprogram,thesecondtooktheSSRIsertraline(Zoloft),andthethirddidboth
treatments.After16weeks,depressionhadmitigatedinallthreegroupsandapproximately
60%70%ofthesubjectsinallthegroupscouldnolongerbeclassedashavingmajor
depression.Furthermore,thegroupscoresontworatingscalesofdepressionwerethesamein
essence.Forthosewhoneedorprefertoavoiddrugs,thisevidencesuggeststhatexercisecan
possiblybeanacceptablesubstituteforantidepressants.However,itisimportanttonotethat
thefastestresponseoccurredinthegrouptakingantidepressants,andthatdepressed
individualsmayfindithardtocultivatemotivationtoconsistentlygoexercise.
WhatIfoundmostinterestingwasthatwhenafollowuptothestudywasconducted,it
foundthattheexercisegroupsantidepressioneffectslastedlongerthanthosewhotook

antidepressants.Sixmonthsafterthestudy,researcherscheckedinwith133oftheoriginal
patientsandfoundthatthosewhoexercisedregularlyaftercompletingthestudy,regardlessof
whichtreatmenttheywereonoriginally,werelesslikelytorelapseintodepression.
Tome,this
studycompletelysupportsmyphilosophythatfitnesscanbeamedicineandifdesired,people
donotalwaysneedpharmaceuticalstocuretheirailments.Iwilllaterdiscusswhyrelyingjuston
exercisemaynotalwaysbetherightchoice.

WhenIwasassignedtocreateaneightminuteTEDTALKformyHonors3790course,I
wantedtospreadmybeliefthatfitnesscanbepartatherapyforindividualsnomattertheir
battle.Abattlemaybeconfidenceissues,itmaybecancer,itmaybeobesity,oritcouldeven
bebackpain.WhenIchosetoworkout,mymainmotivationwastomanagemymentalhealth.
Aestheticscamesecondarily.Therefore,Iwantedtoanswerthequestion:Whatmotivates
humanstoexercise?WhatIcametodiscoverfrommyexperienceasapersonaltrainerand
groupfitnessinstructorwasthatthemajorityofpeopleIcameintocontactwithexercised
becausetheywantedtolookgood.Essentially,theirmainmotiveforexercisewasaesthetics,
toimprovetheirappearance.SothegoalandpurposeofmytalkbecamehowcanIshiftthe
motiveofhumanstoexercisefromappearancetohealth.

MyplanwastointroducemyaudiencetoanobservationIhadmadeofmyclientele
wantingexerciseforaestheticreasonsandconnectittothemedia.Iwouldthentakethemona
briefhistoryofhumanexercisephysiologytorelaytothemtheimportanceofincorporating
physicalactivityinourdailylives.Next,Iwouldgoontomaketwopointsshowinghow
aestheticscanbemisleadingdeterminantsofhealth.Thefirstpointwouldbe:Skinnydoesnot
alwaysmeanhealthy.Mysecondpointwas:Fatdoesnotalwaysmeanunhealthy.FinallyI
wouldfinishbystatingaseriesoffactsofthebenefitsoffitness.Thesefactsrelayedhowfitness
isbeneficialtodisease,cognitiveability,bonedensity,andcanbeapreventerofnumerous

healthissues.Mymessagewasthatashumansweneedtoexercise,weneedtobemotivated
byourhealth,andthatfitnesscanallbeourcure.
AtthispointIfeltIwasacaptain.Acaptainisresponsibleforleadingateaminaway
thatbenefitsall.IfeltIhadamessageIwantedtorelaytoothersthatwouldbenefitthem.I
communicatedthemessageandIbackeditupwithresearch.Ithenledbyexample,
incorporatingexerciseintomydailylifeandshowinghowitworkedasammunitionformy
depressionbattle.
However,amonthlater,myviewpointthatexercisewastheendallbeallwas
challenged.Mydepressiongottotheworstithadeverbeen.IliterallybelievedthatIwouldbe
stuckinastateofunhappinessfortherestofmylife.Ihadtriedallmyoptions,andIwas
extremelyhesitanttotrymedication.Afterspeakingwithmycounselorshesaidafter3yearsof
speakingwithme,shebelievedifIcouldhavefixedmysymptomsbynow,Iwouldhavefigured
awayout.ShebelievedIhadachemicalimbalancecausingmydepressionandanxiety.I
askedheropiniononmedicationandshestatedthattakingamedicationwouldbeanoptionfor
metotry,andshebelievedIwasatthepointwhereIwouldbeready.WhileIwasreluctantat
first,InowfeltreassuredthatthisoptionmaybewhatIneededandIwasopentoanythingto
mayhelpme.
AfterbeingonLexaprofor4months,ImustsayitisoneofthebestdecisionsIhave
evermade.Ifeltbetterafterjust1weekoftakingthemedication.Afteronemonth,theonlyway
IcoulddescribeitwasthatIfeltlikemyselfagain.MycounselorevensaidwhenIcameintoher
officethatshehadnevernoticedmydimplesuntilthatdaybecauseIhadfinallystartedsmiling
again.TohermybodylanguagedidnotseemastenseandIcameacrossasmorecontentwith
myself.WhileIhadbeenpreviouslybeenadamantaboutnottakingmedication,Ionceagain
experiencedapositiveoverload.Theoverloadwasthecombinationofhighdepressionlevels

andmycounselorsopiniononmedicationwhichwasanewstimulustome.Theoutcomeof
decidingtotakemedicationhelpedalleviatemysymptomsofdepressionandallowedmeto
becomeastrongerversionofmyself.
STAGE5:TEAMCOACH
Inthespringofmyseniorsemester,IobtainedaninternshipatPerformanceUnlimited.
PerformanceUnlimitedisasportsperformancefacilitywhichprovidestrainingtosoccerand
lacrosseathletes.Italsoprovidespersonaltrainingandgroupclassestoadults.
Myinternship
hasbridgedthegapbetweenacademiaandprofessionalexperience.Itisthereallife
experiencethatIhaveneededtobeabletoapplytheknowledgeIhaveobtainedtothefield.My
internshiphasmoldedmeintoabettercoachandmoreknowledgeabletrainer.Ihavelearned
whentoutilizehighversuscalmerenergystates.Learnedexternalversusinternalcuingand
howtoeffectivelyutilizethem.Ihavebeenchallengedwithyouthathleteswhodidnotwantto
listenoradultswhoareskepticalofaprogram.Myinternshiprepresentsamoldingofmyself
andrepresentsapplication.
Asanintern,Ibeganshadowingtheheadcoachesatthefacility.Shadowinghelpedme
graspthecultureofthefacility.Ialsobecamemorefamiliarwiththelanguageoftheirexercise
library.BylanguageIamreferringtothefactthatasinglemovementforanexercisecanhave
variousnames.Forexample,PerformanceUnlimitednamedthemovementofdoingapushup
andturningintoasideplankaPushUpTswhereIhadpreviouslyknowntheexercisetobe
calledaPushupRotation.OnceIfinishedthefirsttwoweeksofshadowingIwasresponsible
forcoachingclasses.Foryouthathletes,Icoachedourstrengthtrainingsessionsaswellasour
speedandagilitysessions.ForadultsIhelpedwithpersonaltrainingandadultgroupfitness
classes.IwasfinallyatapointwhereIwasenactingaleadershippositionoutsideofschooland
intherealworld.

Theinternshipimpactedmethemostbyteachingmetothinkaboutthepurposebehind
workoutprogramming.Myinternshipmentorchallengedmetofindoutwhatresearchsaidabout
selectingexercises,puttingtheminaspecificorder,ataspecificrepetitionrange,withaspecific
workandresttimes.InchoosingthosedetailsIcouldeffectivelyhelpclientsreachtheirgoals
utilizingscienceasmyfoundation.Iwasalsoabletoseetheimpactexercisehadontheadult
population.PriortomyinternshipItrainedapopulationofyoungadultsfrom1830.Mostofthe
clientsatPerformanceUnlimitedare40andolder.Manyclientstoldmetheirtestimonyasto
whytheycontinuetoexerciseatPerformanceUnlimited.Helenhadhurthershoulderfrom
repeatedlydoingayogaposeincorrectly.Afterhavingtopossiblyhaveshouldersurgery,she
triedouttrainingatPerformanceUnlimited.Doingsimplebuteffectiveexercisesthatdidnot
contraindicatehershoulderinjuryhasledhertonowfeelnoshoulderpain.Exercisehelpedher
rebuildthestrengthinandaroundhershouldermusclesothatshewouldnolongerperformthe
compensationpatternsshewasperformingbeforethatledhertoaninjuredstate.Ialsospoke
withaclientnamedDenisewhohasafamilyhistoryofhighcholesterol.Herdoctortoldherifit
wasntforhercontinuouslyworkingoutshewouldbeinareallypoorsituationforherhealthas
sheisgeneticallyathighriskforcardiovasculardisease.Finally,oneoftheclientsIhavebeen
workingwithnamedDavidhadquiteanimpactonme,andmeaswellonhim.
Davidhadastrokethatimpairedhisspeechandaudioprocessingabilities.Hisstrokedid
notimpairhisphysicalabilitiesandhestillhascompletemusculoskeletalfunction.Thus,when
wetrained,IchosetovisuallycueDavidthroughdemonstratingtheexerciseandpositioning
himintoproperformmoresothanverballytellinghim.WhenDavidfirststartedhisbalancewas
poorandconditioningperformancewerepoor.After3weeksoftraining,DavidandIbeganto
seedramaticimprovementsinhisbalanceandstrength.Hewouldtellmethathefeltbetterthan
hehadinyearsfrombeingphysicallyactiveatleast3timesaweek.Hesaidsimplyliftingthings

athomebecameeasier,hecouldlifthisdaughterupmoreeasily,andhisperformanceinJiu
Jitsuimproved.Itwasjustamazingtoseemybeliefthatexercisehasuniversalbenefitsformost
populationsandcanmakepositiveaspectsinvariousaspectsofourlives.
CONCLUSION:THEENDTOANEWBEGINNING
Insummation,uponreflectingonthelast4yearsofmycollegecareerIhaveattained
newfoundwisdom.Ihavewitnessedandreadresearchprovingthatexercisecanbebeneficial
inmanyareasofdiseaseandhealth.Therefore,Iseemedicineasauniversalartmediumthat
assistsincreatingamasterpiece.Amediumreferstothematerialsusedtocreateaworkofart.
Forexample,oilpaints,marble,ortempera.Yousee,manyofthebattlesIwasspeaking

aboutnevertrulygoaway.Forme,depressionandanxietywillalwaysbeapartofme,butIcan
learntomanagemystresslevelsandemotionstohelpobtaintherightlevelsofstresstopropel
metobetterstates.SoIhavefoundwhatworksformeisthecombinationofmedication,regular
physicalactivity,andcounselingasneeded.Thus,Ithinkthatexerciseisapowerfulmeansof
therapythatutilizedinconjunctionwithotherformsoftreatmentcanbeanamazingresource
inalleviatingsymptomsofdisease,improvingconfidenceandselfesteem,orreversingor
preventingdisease.Exerciseisjustpartoftheprocess.Itisnottheendallbeallanswertoall
ourproblems,butcanbeanexcellentcomplementwhenwearefacedwithobstacles.

InmythreeyearsatUNCCharlotteIhaveevolvedbeyondwhatIcouldhaveever
imagined.Ineverthoughtat22yearsofageIwouldbeabletosayIamacertifiedstrengthand
conditioningcoach,personaltrainer,andgroupfitnessinstructorwhohashelpedhundredsof
peoplemakepositivechangesfortheirhealth.Afterteaching2
groupfitnessclassespersemesterwith830peopleperclass
andhavingover30personaltrainingclients,Ihavebeenableto
impactmanypeople'slives.Ihaveobtainedbroadwisdomfrom
integratingthehonorsprogramintomycollegeexperience.
Furthermore,Inowhavetheabilityfrommykinesiologycourses
toplanasafe,effectiveexerciseprogramforavarietyof
populationssuchasanobeseadultwithakneeinjury.Ifeel
successfulpromotingmyselfasafitnessandhealthresourceas

nowreceivetexts,Facebookmessages,andamapproachedby
peopleinthegymaskingmeforworkoutorlifestyleadvice.
Throughmyjourney,Ihaveobservedthatmymaingrowthanddevelopmentinto
becominganimprovedandwiserselfwasfromputtingmyselfinuncomfortablesituations.This
dynamicmodelstheoverloadprincipleperfectly.Ironically,amethodIusetoelicitmuscular
strengthadaptationsinthemajorityofmyclientsisthesamemethodIwasunconsciouslyusing
toelicitmentalandphysicalchangesinmyownlife.

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