Elizabeth "Beth" Bowman - U.S. Army

In 2012, I was diagnosed with MS. After a worsening of symptoms and additional testing, it was decided I had NMOSD, Devic’s disease. There is no definitive proof of which disease I truly have and many of the symptoms are similar.

I used to be strong, in shape, and a healthy weight. As my impairment increased and the side effects from medications piled up, I was no longer any of those things and I didn’t think I could get them back. There were so many things that I could no longer do that it was easy to stop trying to do things, easy to justify sitting around for a large portion of my day while doing very little activity because I didn’t feel good and I couldn’t do anything about it anyway, so why bother trying.

PVA, at both the national and local level, is a very proactive organization. They are always looking for ways to improve the lives of their members. I found out that classes were being offered online in strength training and yoga a couple times a week. The classes were great and I started to be more active and feel better. The downside was that the sessions lasted for around 6 weeks and then there would be a break while waiting for funding to come through, so I didn’t have consistency and I lacked the self-motivation to do the exercises on my own.

The area I live in is very rural. It is a 20 minute drive to the nearest town that has gyms. None of these gyms are set up for people with disabilities. I found one class that could possibly be adapted for a person like me. One. I had spoken with PVA-WI representatives about the lack of fitness opportunities in my area and they were looking for solutions. In the spring of 2024, I decided to check out Bootcamp.

At Bootcamp, I got to try so many different sports. I found out I could actually do some things I had no idea I could do. Some sports I was even good at. Adaptive Fitness was one of the things I tried. It was challenging, but I had a blast. I felt tough. Later in the day, Scott asked if I would like to work with one of the trainers one on one. My answer was yes and my adaptive fitness journey with trainer Kat Musni began.

At our first meeting, Kat asked what my goals were. I wanted to sit less, get stronger, lose weight and improve my balance.  Kat and I meet via Zoom twice a week for thirty minutes. She also has me do cardio on my own at least 4 times a week. Our sessions start with Kat asking how my body feels. I have partial paralysis in all four limbs, nerve pain, spasticity, fatigue, balance problems, loss of feeling, weakness, and heat intolerance among other issues. Together, we figure out ways to work around those issues. I wear cooling gear to keep my body temp under control, use a yoga strap to lift my right leg for exercises, and have things to hold on to for standing exercises. Many of the exercises are done sitting on a weight bench or on the floor. If fatigue or weakness is bad that day, we take more breaks, do more seated, do fewer reps or use lower weights. It’s about balancing what I can do that day while keeping workouts challenging and always trying to improve even if it’s just little steps, little wins. Kat pushes me to do more than I think I can.

I feel better when I work out. Stress is less, pain is less, it’s easier to move, there is less spasticity and nerve pain.  Since beginning adaptive fitness, I have lost 15 pounds. I can fit in clothes that I couldn’t before. I stand taller, straighter, and for longer periods of time. I feel strong. My walking has improved and I use the wheelchair less. Lots of core work has made my balance better. When I started out, I could do five minutes of cardio and lift a low amount of weight. I am up to twenty five minutes of cardio and may need to get a heavier weight set soon.

PVA-WI has been vital to me in my adaptive fitness journey. They provided a wonderful trainer who I now consider a friend, a rowing machine, weights and bench and TRX suspension system to help meet my goals. Amera, Brenna, and Scott listened to my concerns and helped find solutions. I am so thankful and blessed to be a member of PVA-WI.

My advice for others wondering if adaptive fitness is for them: Try it. Move. Do what you can, then do a little more. You are going to amaze yourself and you are going to feel better. Keep moving forward.