SUN-SENTINEL - June 26th, 2005

(Copyright 2005 by the Sun-Sentinel)

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Christine King always worked hard to stay physically fit.

That helped save her life nine years ago when she broke her back in a Fourth of July jet-ski accident in Rhode Island.

The accident, which left her temporarily paralyzed, forced her to learn how to walk again.

"I had no feeling from the waist down," recalls King, 36. "I looked down at my legs and they looked like they were twisted, like they didn't even belong to me. At that moment, I knew I was paralyzed and I would probably live the rest of my life in a wheelchair."

Instead, King began a long, slow rehabilitation. Fitness became a survival skill as well as a career. Today, she is a certified medical exercise specialist and director of Get Fit! functional moves studio.

Can you describe your rehabilitation?

I left the hospital and went home to live with my parents. Two days later, I went to my health club with my body cast, my leg brace and my walker. I was pretty determined. My husband had to help me with everything. I went there to move whatever would work. My husband would hand me dumbbells and I would do bicep curls. I would work my legs any way I could, any way they would move.

How did you regain your strength and mobility?

We did a lot of what is now known as functional-training fitness, which is training movement and not muscles. You're working groups of muscles instead of isolating a particular muscle. For example, one thing that was difficult for me was to sit down in a seat and stand back up by myself. I had to retrain my body to do everyday activities. We exercised with resistance bands, hand weights, stability balls, tubing and others tools.

How does functional training work?

It trains the body through different planes of movement. Functional training mimics everyday movements with resistance. It involves a lot of core training; the abdomen, back and hips. Developing and maintaining the core is key in functional training.

With my back, that had to be a point of focus for me. My doctor constantly tells me I need to work my core to keep my back very strong.

Does functional training use machines?

No machines. You don't live in a machine, why should you work out on one? When you sit on a machine and push out a weight, you don't have to stabilize your core. You don't have to think. You just push the weight out.

Are you back to where you were before the accident?

No. I don't have full function. I still can't stand on my tippy- toes with either foot. I walk with a limp because I never got back all of the muscles. I was in great shape before the accident. They said that's what saved my life. After the accident was when I really started to use the functional-training techniques.

How did you learn to walk again?

First with a walker and someone holding me in the back. I'd go from the walker to having someone hold my hand; then using a cane and then walking independently. I used a cane for a long time. I wore a leg brace because I had a drop foot. My right leg was more atrophied.

What is your fitness routine?

I work out at the studio three to four times a week. We have 15 stations. I do the circuit and I go around twice. It takes me about 30 minutes. At each station, we use functional training tools, like hand weights, resistance tubing, balance tools, stability balls. I incorporate all of the movements and I work as hard as I can when I work out. I try to pack into the 30 minutes everything that I can. I push myself. When I'm through, I feel like I've worked every muscle in my body.

Is functional training a new trend in fitness?

Functional training has been around 100 years. You won't find gyms dropping their equipment, but functional training is starting to become more popular because it's a more effective way of moving your body. The educated trainers know about functional training. Some of them use it.

What are your fitness goals?

I'm always trying to improve my balance. I'm always trying to keep myself as toned as possible. We all get a year older every year. Every year, you lose metabolism; you lose muscle tone; you lose bone density. If you don't use it, you're going to lose it. I keep that in my mind.

--Kathleen Kernicky

Know someone who is a profile in fitness? E-mail kvarma@sun- sentinel.com.Or call 954-356-4719 and leave a recorded message. Include the name, city and daytime phone number, plus a brief description of how this person stays fit.

CHRISTINE KING

36, Boynton Beach

5 feet, 5

115 pounds.