Healthy at home: Scientist focuses on fitness

Many Louisville Water employees are committed to fitness and make extra efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For instance, Taylor Rosenhagen is a scientist in our Water Quality and Compliance Department who follows a fitness routine that helps her meet several personal goals. She provided the following description of her experience with CrossFit:

I have been an athlete my entire life. My most recent athletic involvement was collegiate track, where I participated in the pentathlon and heptathlon. Prior to moving to Louisville four years ago, I was forced to undergo two surgeries, both on the same ankle. I wanted to find something that allowed me to get back in shape and strengthen my leg, which had been weakened from the surgeries. On top of that, I missed the sense of camaraderie that I had while being a track and field athlete. CrossFit seemed like the perfect option for me — I could regain my strength while also feeling a sense of community. This was important to me because I didn’t know anybody here when I moved.

Currently, I go to The CAV, [a fitness center] located in J-town and St. Matthews, right down from our Crescent Hill location. Like many people, I have heard the phrase “CrossFit is bad for your body.” I fully believe this is a false statement because the focus of CrossFit is on functional fitness, injury prevention, and assisting the body in becoming in the best shape it can be in. CrossFit allows me to stay in shape, have fun, and keep my body feeling good so I can always do all the activities I enjoy doing in life, such as playing with my nephews and hiking!

The coach-designed programmed workouts provide me with cross-training cardio, so there is not as much wear and tear on the body. Also, I get to perform Olympic lifting movements, which is hard to do at commercial gyms, as they generally do not have the space or equipment for them. Another thing that is great about CrossFit is the ability to go at my own pace and scale my workouts if I need to. For example, If I am having an off day, I can modify the workout however I need given my energy levels. The coaches are great about checking for proper form and making sure you can safely and effectively perform all of the movements to prevent injuries.

Ultimately, I love being part of a community and having others to workout with. With these types of workouts, you are never alone, and you always have encouragement to help you stay focused and motivated. With CrossFit, there is never a boring workout. There are a variety of exercises, so workouts are always exciting. Finally, I think it is important for everyone to indulge in some form of self-care. CrossFit is part of my self-care for so many reasons. It keeps me active; it surrounds me with others who want to be healthy; it has exposed me to many new and healthy eating tips; and it benefits my mental health by decreasing stress.

For anyone who is thinking about taking up Crossfit, I would recommend that you tour a variety of gyms. Meet the coaches, participate in some of their workouts, and decide which seems like the best fit for you

I would also recommend that you explain to your coach any injuries that you may have had in the past so that they can assist you and make and modifications to your workouts that you may need. That is what is so nice about CrossFit, it can be tailored to your fitness level and what you are capable of.