Our manifesto is one way of sharing our ethos with you, our community. It’s an ever evolving discussion aimed at shifting the landscape of “healthy living” by making wellness a way of life. Discover our manifesto and learn more about a new kind of physical therapy that’s emerging. Come join us!
It worries me when people talk about fitness, health and wellness.
I hear phrases like:
“Once I train and compete in a half marathon, my body will be fit and I can take a break for a while.”
“When I lose 10 more pounds, my figure will look like it did before kids and I can stop working out so hard.”
“If I walk 10,000 steps a day, my heart will work better and my doctor will be happy.”
“If I go to the gym 5 days a week, my muscles will be stronger and I won’t have knee pain any longer.”
Why does this concern me? It is because staying fit, moving better, and living a pain-free life is not about crossing the finish line to these one-time goals. Fitness and wellness require a lifestyle that must be maintained every day.
Would you ever say “I drank enough water today so I’m good for a day or two,” OR “I brushed my teeth every day in August so I can take September off.” Of course not! Our bodies are exactly the same. Our bodies need regular maintenance so that they can run smoothly. Our bodies are incredible machines that are uniquely designed to move lots of ways everyday, if we treat them right.
At Functionize we view fitness and wellness as the means to fill all of the buckets needed to build a healthy, balanced lifestyle. When our stress, sleep, and nutrition are in sync, our bodies move better and our overall function is optimized. It’s one big puzzle and the pieces must fit together. You won’t enjoy training for that half marathon if your knee pain returns unexpectedly. You won’t be able to play on the floor with your children or grandchildren if your lower back hurts. You won’t sleep well if your neck pain wakes you in the middle of the night. You won't lose your post-pregnancy pounds if your diet doesn't fuel your body.
When your health and fitness is off-balance, it impacts every aspect of your life. The puzzle pieces must fit together. Where do you begin? It starts in your mind. Let me explain...
With 20 years experience as a PT, I’ve seen it all. The reason most people fail in their journey toward better health is that they push too hard towards a single goal and don’t see the bigger picture. They stay in their comfort zone instead of pushing themselves to where lasting results are born. Creating change is not linear. It takes work. It’s slow. It can be boring. And, yes, sometimes it is even painful.
The problem is that pain is often a roadblock. Many think a painful signal means that something bad happened, so we avoid activities, movements, or goals.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Sometimes pain simply means the body is moving in a different way. When this new message is presented to the brain, an alarm signal is sent out. Because this signal is unfamiliar, it is often classified as painful. You now have two choices: stop moving and give up, or continue to move and learn to process the new signals.
At Functionize, we choose the latter. When we stop playing in a tiny sandbox of fear and protection, and risk exploring all the ways our body can move, wonderful things become possible. Pain disappears, our bodies grow stronger, and we realize we can do hard things. Along with a present mind, a clear goal, a determined body, tons of repetitions, (and a physical therapist to hold you accountable, of course!), an active, pain-free life can be achieved at any age.
We believe that if you have a body, you’re an athlete. Just like every athlete performs at a high level, you can too. We help people move better, and that movement becomes the medicine that keeps the everyday athlete in you pushing forward.
A little bump in the road shouldn’t be cause for alarm, completing a half marathon shouldn’t be a reason to stop exercising, walking 10,000 steps should happen everyday, not just for exercise, getting stronger means doing lots of different exercises, not the ones you’ve done your whole life. In truth, our bodies can withstand almost anything, and certainly more than you’re currently doing. It’s our mind we must convince.
It’s time to stop settling for all the coulda, shoulda, wouldas. We believe in a community that’s founded in wellness and knows you can achieve big goals at any age. A community that encourages you to show up and understands your struggles because they’ve experienced and overcome them, too.
Our goal here at Functionize is to become a hub of your community. Functionize gives you access to top health and wellness providers in the Atlanta area who will help you learn from your past experiences so you can make better choices for your future. Functionize cultivates that community. Sometimes over a cup of coffee, or a group fitness class, maybe a friendly chat over a healthy bite to eat, or even just in passing after a physical therapy session.
We want to help you bring movement, fitness, physical therapy, and connection together so big things can happen. You stay strong, healthy, and engaged in the activities you love every day and at every stage of your life. The vision for our little company is as big as our vision for you. We are changing the way healthcare is delivered because we all deserve better.
Unlock your potential so you can become the everyday athlete you were meant to be. You were made to move in power and purpose; together we can make that happen. You deserve health. You deserve a team in your corner. You deserve the attention. You deserve a community of wellness. Come join us.
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