LEGEND® Ambassador Stephanie Hamm is an exemplary model of long-term fitness, as a professional fitness and kettlebell coach, but her balancing skills are no more apparent than in her ability to balance a career, workout schedule, and full-time job as a mom of three.
Stephanie says, “Finding balance isn’t easy but my own health is a priority so I do what I can to make it happen. Sometimes it works seamlessly and other times I drop every single ball that I’m juggling. It’s life and I honestly wouldn’t change it.”
Stephanie wasn’t always so physically active. Having a child is ultimately what changed her track and forced her to start looking at the long-term picture. She says, “I never did much of anything. When I was faced with postpartum depression, I turned to running to help me deal with the mental battles I was facing in a way that gave some healing but also an outlet to deal with a whole lot of emotions I didn’t understand.”
Running was a force of healing and self-empowerment for Stephanie. She really started owning her life, making sure she could be the best version of herself she could be for herself and her children. And that’s what makes her LEGENDARY: her ability to power through unavoidable personal obstacles as well as the ones she sets for herself.
“I really do love being active and strong so aside from the health benefits, I love how running, OCR and kettlebells help me stay strong and focused and also allow me to move well to keep up with my kids.”
She’s currently registered for 2 Spartan Races, hopes to participate in additional races in the summer/fall season, and she says LEGEND® Compression Wear’s products help her make her goals more achievable.
Stephanie says, “I’ve used other brands of compression socks that become uncomfortable after awhile or that make my feet go numb. LEGEND’s sports compression socks do neither and keep my legs feeling fresh and happy both when I’m working out and in my recovery as well.” She adds, “To pick from a popular fairy tale, LEGEND® socks aren’t too loose and they aren’t too tight. They’re juuuuuuuust right.”
Stephanie admits to having ‘notoriously’ tight calfs, being prone to seizing up during races, and sometimes has to take weeks off just to heal up. Because of that, the LEGEND Compression Performance Socks have made a huge difference for her: “Adding compression socks (and proper foam rolling and stretching) to my activities has been life changing for me. It’s allowed me to run longer and harder and not cramp up.”
Stephanie offered up some additional fitness and recovery tips from her experience as a professional coach that no runner/fitness conscious individual should be without. She tells us: “Foam rolling and mobility work are key. It’s the hardest part to add in, especially when you’re pressed for time but if you don’t teach your body to move and recover well, you’re not going to be able to perform at your best. Proper nutrition is also essential. You body will only function as well as the fuel you feed it so feed it well and it will perform well.”
Finally, when asked what would #Make2017LEGENDARY for her, Stephanie says, “What would make this year LEGENDARY for me would be to do something that scares me, makes me uncomfortable and stretches me beyond what I think I’m capable of.”
Our thanks to Stephanie for being part of our team and sharing her story with us! To see how she does achieving her goals, follow her on her blog at runningtowardtheharvest.com.