When you ask someone what their favorite exercise is, you typically don’t get
“deadlift” as your answer.

But that’s what you’ll hear from Dana Van Winkle, who describes herself as a 57-
year-young wife, mother, grandmother and sister.

“I absolutely love to deadlift,” she says. “I am also working on learning how to squat
with better technique, and free weights bring me joy.”

Dana, who grew up riding dirt bikes and competing in street drag racing, started her
journey to health four months after the Covid pandemic hit.

“I weighed 190 pounds with asthma. I knew that It was time to change, and started
making small goals to do so.”

She started off by attending a bootcamp and moved on to working out at Anytime
Fitness.

“I found out I absolutely love lifting weights,” she says. “My original goal was to get
‘swole’ as I have never had much upper body strength.”

As she began to up her exercise game, she found a severe pain radiating from her
right scapula into her neck.

“My doctor had told me I needed surgery on my C3, C4 due to the trauma, and in my
field, I knew that meant pain meds ‘No way.’

Dana works for Miracle’s Inc. where she helps women and their children address
substance use issues.

“I am almost 21 years clean and sober from all mind-altering substances, and the
survivor of years of violent trauma.”

So surgery and pain meds were not an option for her. But her neck pain caused her
to be a “not so fun to be around gal,” so when Dr. Clayton offered a clinic at Any time
Fitness she felt like she found a solution.

“Since the first day I walked Into Natural Wellness Physiotherapy, Clayton has really
listened and taken the time to collaborate with me in my healing,” she says. “I do not
have debilitating pain and I am so much more fun to be around now, not to mention
I can work out pain free.”

That’s an important thing for Dana because working out is an important part of her
life.

“It is my serenity. It’s where I go to spend time with God, and clear my mind. I have
five granddaughters, and one grandson who need to know that no matter how old
you are, fitness is important.”

Dana has lost 40 pounds over the past year and has fallen in love with weight lifting.

“I started deadlifts over the past 4 months, and I just hit 185 pounds,” she says. “I
would like to work towards competitive deadlift. My goal Is to be able to deadlift
close to 300 if possible.”

In addition to upping her deadlift numbers, Dana would love to try Zumba and try
running without feeling like she can’t breathe.

Her advice to others working to make positive changes to their health?

“Never let the voice in your head tell you ‘you can't’ or ‘that someone might judge
me.’'’ she says. “What other people think about me, is none of my business.”