Jason's Story- Knee Pain Journey

Before Align

"I had struggled with my weight and posture (hunched back and forward neck) since I was a kid. Earlier in life, I stayed active and shook off injuries easily. I loved riding dirt bikes, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and backpacking. All of those activities led to various injuries, but I shook them off quickly and never gave them much thought."

"In 2005, I had a major wake up call when I miraculously walked away-relatively unscathed-from a street motorcycle wreck. In the following doctor visits, I learned I had high blood pressure and went on medications to try to bring it under control. I remember I was 309 lbs. Getting in that accident totally changed my life trajectory. In a few months I went down to 280 lbs by cutting calories and doing a 5 mile walk daily. I got down to 200 lbs with some crash dieting, but as with most crash diets, it didn’t last. The weight crept back and my activity ebbed and flowed."

"In 2014 I picked up a bad meniscus tear in my left knee doing Judo. I knew I also had a small meniscus tear in my right knee. After surgery, my mobility in my knees was terrible, and my confidence was badly shaken. I knew if I kept trying to do the same activities without doing some serious work to improve my ability to move, I’d be in for a world of hurt and would likely have to quit doing the things I loved... or risk picking up far worse injuries along the way."

Making The Change

"After the injuries and setbacks my weight was up and I was feeling really awful and hopeless about it. I felt like I’d never get back on top of my health. Deep down though, I knew that failure wasn’t an option. I was thinking, I have an amazing family and friends, tons of things I love to do, and lots of stuff I haven’t gotten to yet."

"There was no way I could keep avoiding addressing these issues. I saw a friend on social media talking about Align and the success she had with them. I sent her a message, spoke with her, and decided to come in to check it out."

Life At Align

"I knew it was something special when I came in for my first session and Matthew had me on my back for most of the first class. I had been nervous that it would be too intense and I’d injure my knees again or something. Yet as I lay there, I was watching the other people in my group do all of these super interesting exercises."

"Mathew said, 'Don’t worry, you’ll be doing that stuff and more soon. This is what you need right now.' He was extremely detailed in going over the form of the exercises and making subtle corrections along the way. I could tell he knew his stuff and was very smart."

"The environment at Align is so supportive, fun, and friendly, but we also get an incredible workout in a safe way, with great instruction. I discovered through Align my love of rowing and lifting weights—something that I had though was pretty dumb before. Haha. I can feel the care my trainer puts into training, checking in, writing custom off-day routines, and working hard to keep us engaged through COVID lockdowns and beyond."

Life Now

"I am stronger, more flexible, and better able to move since the soccer-playing days of my late teens. I feel totally different and more confident in my body. I’m far less scared of re-injuring my knees because I know I have addressed and continue to address the areas of instability and imbalance that contributed to my injuries."

"I have no knee pain during squats or step ups- this was not possible when I started. Beginning the process with therapeutics and progressing steadily from there was something I was completely unfamiliar with. But it makes so much sense and probably speaks volumes regarding why I previously kept injuring myself and would fall into burn out."

"I’m squatting and deadlifting more than I thought I ever would (over 300lbs!). I never even thought I’d ever get into lifting weights, but I really love it and that is a big surprise to me. Examine your deep down feelings about your health and fitness. You know you need to do something about it. Why not save yourself time (and pain) and just do it now? The results that can come from taking a tiny action can be absolutely life changing."