“When I walked into CrossFit, no question, stress was managing me, and now I manage stress,” says Bob Soulliere, a member at CrossFit MVA in Alexandria, Virginia.
Years ago, Soulliere was working a stressful corporate job and thinking chronic back pain and pharmaceuticals were an inevitable part of his life.
“I was on Wellbutrin for anxiety. I was on cholesterol medication … . I wasn’t getting any advice to work out. It was just, ‘Here’s another medicine,’” he recalls.
But a big shift was on the horizon: “The gift was that I got laid off,” Soulliere says.
With the encouragement of his wife, he started changing his lifestyle. He gave CrossFit a try. He also became a Wim Hof and Oxygen Advantage instructor. CrossFit helped him manage his anxiety.
“I didn’t realize the connection between physical activity and mental state,” he says.
“I’m feeling good. I don’t need this stuff. I especially didn’t need the anxiety medication,” he continues.
“I haven’t had a back problem in years now.”
Doctor Tells Bob Soulliere He’s “Doing All the Right Things”