For our latest Athlete Spotlight, we talked with Julie Foster. Julie joined JR CrossFit September of 2018 and is a 5AM regular alongside her husband JR. In our interview, Julie talks about how she’s able to continuing working out while pregnant, how CrossFit affects her career, and much more.
When did you join JR CrossFit?
September 2018, just had my 18 month anniversary!
What do you do for a living and does that affect your CrossFit workouts? What kind of progress have you seen since you started at JR CrossFit? How do you stay motivated?
I am a dentist at the Family Health Center. I’ll be honest one of the things that kept me from CrossFit for so long was the fear of being injured, because if I am injured that affects my livelihood. I expressed these concerns to Jai at the Elements class, and she reassured me that this was no ordinary Crossfit gym and gave me her backstory of how she was injured at a Crossfit gym and became motivated to open up a gym to prevent something like that from happening to anyone else. All the JR Crossfit coaches are phenomenal and have had the training to critique and give feedback on proper form and coach us as we workout.
Being a dentist does drive me to work out to become stronger physically so that I have a good core to try to prevent and combat back/neck problems that are rampant in my profession. Though, I often tell people I don’t workout for my muscles but for my head/mind as it is such a good outlet for me and my emotional and mental health, in addition to physical health.
I also love doing Crossfit with my husband JR. He helps me stay motivated. We split days that we can go, so we motivate each other to get out of bed and go…”Babe it’s your day to go.” 🙂 It’s also fun to talk about the workouts together and gives us an additional way we can connect with one another. He was the reason I joined JR Crossfit in the first place.
What are some of your other hobbies?
I enjoy spending time with my husband JR and our 2 kiddos, JT our 3 year old son and Jordyn our 2 year old daughter. We love spending time with family, being active, and anything outside especially dove hunting, hiking, and watching college football. We love our church Harris Creek and our community there.
What was your workout routine like before joining JR CrossFit? Why did you pick JR CrossFit and what’s your favorite thing about it?
I would work out at home and either find workout videos online or through the Nike App. I found myself spending more time planning than actually doing the workouts and decided that something needed to change. This is one of the many reasons I love JR Crossfit. I love the variety and showing up for a workout and knowing that it’s going to be a good one. On the days I want to snooze through my 4:30 AM alarm clock, I know that if i can roll out of bed and get to the gym that I will get a good workout and leave knowing that it was worth it! I also love my morning crew and the added motivation to get to see them!
How has being pregnant affected your CrossFit workouts? Does being able to modify the workouts help you keep up?
The coaches have gone above and beyond to show me modifications for exercises, workouts, and even stretches. One of the great things about Crossfit is it is for all different skill levels and I can modify to go at a healthy pace doing the exercises that I feel comfortable doing and get a good workout that is safe during pregnancy. My doctor has been supportive of it too.
What are some of your CrossFit and fitness goals going forward and after your pregnancy?
This is my third pregnancy in the span of 4 years, but the only pregnancy I have worked out and I can tell a difference. I’m hoping that continuing working out while pregnant will help me to recover more quickly and easily post-partum. My ultimate goal would be to get back into pre-pregnancy shape, which is not an easy journey, but it will definitely help to have the community and support of the JR Crossfit gym, coaches, and my 5 AM community.
What advice would you give to someone considering joining JR CrossFit?
Don’t be scared, the workouts and exercises are modified for all different types of skill levels and incorporate all levels of people on their fitness journey. Everyone is friendly and they help each other become better. The coaches are knowledgeable and encouraging. Give it a try, I think you’ll like it!