Name: Kimberly Whittaker, 25
The Crisis: Two car accidents in one month took Kimberly from doing yoga three to five times a week to "having joint problems in both knees and pain in my lower back and neck" that made it so she could barely sit or stand, much less work out.
The Change: "I was emotionally a nervous wreck and physically had gained weight and felt stiff. Plus, I was losing more and more mobility every day. I knew then that something had to change, so I joined a gym and started doing light cardio and spin classes to get my body moving. At first it was painful and discouraging, but over time I began to feel less anxious."
The Cure: "Now I work with a physical trainer three time per week to help me strengthen my muscles and joints. Some days I am in a lot of pain, but I am slowly but surely on my way to a full recovery. Without exercise, I feel as though I don't have an outlet to release the stress and anxiety. The spin classes were the most helpful because I felt like I was able to zone out and focus my energy just on pedaling one foot in front of the other. I was able to find clarity."
Kimberly's Tip: "It is difficult to recover from a traumatic event like a car accident, but you cannot let it consume you. Start slow and steady and hire a certified trainer if you need help getting started and want supervision."
