{"id":598,"date":"2012-11-09T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2012-11-09T16:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthyfootnotes.com\/?p=598"},"modified":"2015-11-11T21:40:41","modified_gmt":"2015-11-11T21:40:41","slug":"introducing-ashley-costanza-ambassador","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/introducing-ashley-costanza-ambassador\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Ashley Costanza, Ambassador!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Ashley is an English teacher and lover of reading and cooking. After numerous surgeries in her 20’s and gaining some weight as a result,\u00a0she’s\u00a0getting back into the swing of things by eating healthier and enjoying more physical activity.\u00a0She just turned 30 and is implementing a more routine workout including more bike riding and walking her dog. \u00a0Now that she has the right shoes, she’s ready for the challenge.<\/p>\n

In her first blog entry,\u00a0Ashley describes the nightmare of surgery in her 20’s and her goal now that she’s cast-free and 30!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Writhing on the ground in Garmisch-Partenkirchen after slipping on ice, I was only worried about getting up.\u00a0 And, QUICKLY!!\u00a0 You know, before people started to stare.\u00a0 Little did I know that that\u00a0one act\u00a0of falling lo so many years ago would start me on a spiral that brought me here\u2026.and eventually to yoga.<\/em><\/p>\n

When I was 22, I was doing my student teaching in Heidelberg, Germany.\u00a0 A great benefit of student teaching abroad was the travel opportunities.\u00a0 It was a long weekend, and I went with my roommate to visit the site of the 1936 Winter Olympics.\u00a0 After falling and hurting my left ankle\/heel on the slippery mix that blankets Germany in the winter months, I took it a bit easy, but still managed to walk a few miles daily and even participate in a 15+ kilometer bike ride to celebrate the coming of Spring with my local pals.<\/p>\n

The summer after coming back home to Norfolk, VA I found that my foot problems subsided.\u00a0 I guess graduating college and trying to find my first \u201cbig girl\u201d job were more overwhelming that any residual Achilles pain, but I soon found that I couldn\u2019t climb steps.\u00a0 It was then, in my very early 20s, that I was diagnosed with two completely ruptured discs in my back.\u00a0 To solve the problem, I was forced to have a series of painful steroid injections, hours of physical therapy and numerous doctors appointments before settling on spinal fusion.\u00a0 I was bummed to have to give up two months on my first, real teaching job.\u00a0 I was frustrated to move back home temporarily to recover.\u00a0 And, I was really sad that I would have to give up my biking and swimming routines that I had grown accustomed to.<\/p>\n

I thought my recovery would be tedious, but in no way would I ever imagine it would have been THIS tedious.\u00a0 After my back healed and I was \u201ccleared\u201d to return to work, I started having foot pains again.\u00a0 Here and there, twinges of pain that would last a few days, then a few weeks, then lay dormant for a number of months.\u00a0 Needless to say, it was clear that something was wrong, but what 20-something year old who just went through back surgery wanted to visit a doctor for a possible new problem?<\/p>\n

Clearly, I let physical activity take a back seat in my 20s.\u00a0 After wrapping up my back issues, I had my first foot surgery for heel spurs at 26 after a year and a half of misdiagnoses, then another go around at a similar surgery\u2014this time with a tendon transfer!–with a new doctor a couple of years later.\u00a0 As I am a newly-minted 30 year old, I have made it a point to put my health first.\u00a0 Part one of this \u201cme first\u201d plan was to find new shoes.\u00a0 I can honestly say that after a long day in the classroom, the last thing I could think of was doing ANYTHING at home that required movement.\u00a0 Simply getting up to use the restroom or make dinner was a pathetic sight of me limping stiff-legged across a room.\u00a0 My husband, in a stroke of sheer genius, thought to ask his hairdresser about shoe recommendations.\u00a0 After doing some research on the brands she mentioned and beyond, I can now happily say that I exclusively own supportive, orthotic-conscious shoes!\u00a0 Jealous??<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The next part of the \u201cme first\u201d plan was exercise.\u00a0 After foot surgery #1, I tried a personal trainer but found him a bit too militant for my liking.\u00a0 Now, I have signed up\u2014and attended\u2014a yoga class at my school.\u00a0 It is for faculty members only, and I must say that I enjoy decompressing with a group of people that have similar stresses and schedules that I do!<\/p>\n

While I am not running a marathon any time soon, I now have hope.\u00a0 I used to cry myself to sleep in terrible pain.\u00a0 Now, I am pain free.\u00a0\u00a0 I used to fear that I would never again find physical activities to do with my back and foot issues.\u00a0 Now, I am happily in yoga working my way towards bigger and better fitness goals.<\/p>\n

What are those goals?\u00a0 I guess you\u2019ll have to keep checking back to find out!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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