When you’re diagnosed with ankylosing spondyliltis (AS), the last thing you want to do is work out. Unless, of course, you’re Nate Lewnes.
College senior, Nate, may no longer be able to lift weights like he used to, but that doesn’t mean he’s quit. No way! In fact, Nate holds the top spot in his weight room for heaviest bench press this fall, maxing 330 pounds. As if! Please! Anyone can do that… (No. No they can’t.)
Lacrosse Magazine tells us that there are certain lifts Nate can no longer perform, most of which work the lower body. But Nate understands that for everything he’s lost, he can make up for somewhere else. Like with those arms…dayum! Lady Kehveen approves. Lady Kehveen need not speak in third person ever again. Yikes.
To those diagnosed with a chronic disease like AS, Nate encourages you not to dwell or complain about what you can’t do anymore.
Instead, do what you can to compensate for what you’ve lost. For those passionate about lifting weights and staying fit, try working a different part of your body. Click here for details on Nate’s workout routine. For those former mountain-climbers stuck in a wheelchair, take up photography! Write a book! The point is… there’s always something else you can do.
