Each month the coaching staff at EHP selects a member that is “Better Than Yesterday!” The selected recipient is a great example of EHP’s CREDO—demonstrating compassion, honesty, resilience, perseverance, and tenacity. Ali Jordahl was selected as February’s “Better Than Yesterday” recipient. This is the second time that Ali has been selected for this honor!

As a second time recipient, Ali was asked a series of questions about her continued experience at EHP:

Why did you continue CrossFit?
There are so many reasons! Mostly, I do CrossFit for my mental wellness. I manage my ADD, depression, and anxiety primarily with exercise. It has been the most effective ‘medicine’ that I have ever used to manage these conditions. So, I show up and do the work knowing that I am going to feel better mentally and emotionally afterwards. I also really love having a community where we are all trying to be better than we were yesterday. It’s inspiring and it helps me stay committed to my goals and my journey of feeling and being the best version of myself. I also do CrossFit because I really like being told exactly what I need to do and I don’t have to think about it; I just do what the coach tells me to do. That may sound a bit weird, but in my personal and professional life, I am the main decision maker so it is nice to not have to be in charge or have to think about what I need to do. I get to just show up and do it. 😊

What has been your greatest achievement been within the last year?
It sounds so simple, but continuing to show up at the gym and workout consistently has been my greatest achievement. I have a health condition that began last fall and I primarily experience the symptoms of it when I workout. It makes the physical aspect of working out quite unpleasant and uncomfortable, but I know the benefit of working out for my mental health outweighs the physical discomfort I experience in the moment. So, I show up and do the work knowing there is a physical cost to the mental benefit. Oh, and I ran a 5k for the first time in my whole life! 

 

How have your fitness goals changed over the years?
There is nothing quite like a health setback to really change your perspective and your goals! I used to be focused on working my way through the workout levels, going from Elevate to Yellow then to Orange, and then dreaming of doing everything Rx. I wanted to modify as little as possible. Now, I am focused on finding movements that feel good and I can do with ease. It’s been a tough mental transition, though, going from trying not to modify anything to having to modify almost everything. So, my other goal is to be kind to myself as I go through this new phase of my fitness journey.

 

Anything else you would like to share about yourself, fitness journey and/or EHP. 
I am beyond grateful for Dr. Karla and the EHP coaching staff for their support as I’ve navigated this new part of my fitness journey. They are always helping me find modifications that work, they check in on me to make sure I am doing okay, they support me when I am feeling pretty low about my circumstances and encourage me to keep showing up. I wouldn’t be able to do the fitness without them!