On September 17th, Ian Worden  received the Dick Lugar Fitness Award for his commitment to fitness in overcoming Guillian-Barre syndrome.  Ian has been a client at Fitness by Design since August 2003.

Over the years his trainer, Steve Smith, has specifically tailored a fitness program for Ian, working on his strength and balance issues.   Where there was an increase in weakness from his disease, Steve applied extra strength training to those areas.

Last year Ian adopted a nutrition program and dropped his body fat percentage from 45% to 20%, which greatly improved his cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and blood pressure.  Ian lost the weight he used to have around his mid-section negating the potential for diabetes down the road, and gained defined abs.  He also competed in the Concept 2 (Indianapolis) Rowing Challenge in January of this year for the first time, adding another component to this fitness routine.

One of Ian’s favorite perks from his improved health and wellness, is out skiing his buddies on Mount Bachelor, Oregon instead of being the one left behind.  Of course, getting back to his love of mountain climbing is another great bonus. He recently climbed Mount Rainier, a big physical achievement indeed!

Ian’s focus on his fitness in addition to the great medical care he received, rehabilitation, and support from Sharon (Ian’s loving wife)  has gotten him past such a debilitating disease.  Congratulations Ian!