I love women's health and fitness. It's been my passion forever and I've built a business out of this love. I can tell you all day long how important it is to be strong and healthy in body, mind and spirit, and you can understand it intellectually, but then something happened to my dear friend and iGnite member, Dr. Marion Forbes, that illustrated the importance of strength in a way that is 100% hard to ignore.
I met Marion about 8 years ago when she joined iGnite in Austin, Texas. She was brought into iGnite by our amazing Pilates and yoga leader, Amy Younkman (if you haven't heard Amy's podcast about Ayurveda, you've got to check it out HERE). Once Marion joined, she JOINED! She jumped right into our strength training, HIIT, Pilates and yoga classes and immediately was a part of the group. We really bonded when she came on our 2019 Lake LBJ Escape and we did a karaoke duet to Adele. Nothing bonds like karaoke!
Fast forward to another Lake LBJ Escape in 2023. We'd had a fantastic day on the lake, had finished dinner, and several women, including Marion, were taking advantage of the late evening summer light for some pickleball. Marion was going for a ball, fell, and could not get up. As a doctor, she knew she was seriously injured and we had to call 911. While we gathered around, there was nothing we could do, but be present. For Marion, in great pain, all she could do was practice yoga breathing she'd learned from Amy's classes- in through the nose, hold, out through the mouth, hold.
That day, Marion dislocated her right elbow and found that she'd broken her wrist as well. After being released from the ER and returning home, she woke the next morning to pain in her hip flexor. She had lots going on that weekend, so she just continued on. On Tuesday afternoon she went to the orthopedist to have her arm checked and casually mentioned the pain in her hip. The orthopedist ordered x-rays of her arm and hip and that's when Marion learned she'd broken her hip as well, and needed surgery that day.
At the time, Marion was 61 years old and had 2 broken bones and a dislocated elbow. For your average person, that would be the sign to hang it up. But not for Marion!
Learn about the choices Marion made, how she amazed her physical therapist, and the role her faith, family and desire to keep having fun played in her incredible recovery. Listen to the podcast on Spotify HERE or YouTube below, and continue reading for more great information and extras!
Strength Training, Smoking, Alcohol & Osteoporosis
One of the best ways to prevent weak bones and avoid osteoporosis is to build strong bones! Here are ways you can reduce your risk of osteoporosis:
GET ACTIVE! Choose weight-bearing physical activities like strength training, dancing and yoga to build and strengthen your bones.
Take calcium and vitamin D each day.
Don't smoke. Smoking raises your risk for broken bones.
Drink alcohol in moderation (for women, this is one drink a day at most). Too much alcohol can harm your bones. Also, too much at one time or mixed with certain medicines can affect your balance and lead to falls.
Talk to your doctor and read more about osteoporosis here.
Less Than 3 Months After Marion's Fall
Marions accident was on Thursday, June 8, 2023. On September 1, 2023, Marion was back in iGnite and she hasn't looked back.
Marion Participating in a Variety of iGnite Classes and iGnite Fun
One of the many things we love about Marion is her all-in attitude. She's full of life, love and fun and participates in everything.
Marion's Member Spotlight
You can read Marion's Member Spotlight HERE, and learn about her favorite word, quote and what she loves so much about her job!
You can also listen to my conversation with Marion on the Power of We Podcast on Spotify HERE or YouTube.
Books We Talked About
Gift of the Red Bird: A story of a divine encounter by Paula Darcy
One Thousand Gifts of Gratitude by Ann Voskamp
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Bonus!
Marion mentioned this poster found at the always inspiring friend and iGnite Leader, Kathleen Parker's Lake house. We both love the message and you can get your own version at Etsy. I'm definitely getting it!
We talked a lot about faith and the number of times Be Not Afraid is mentioned in the Bible. Coincidentally but never accidental, it's 365 times! This book was written by a local Austin author about this very topic.
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