Sara Fleming, BA, MS, ISSA CFT

Fitness training, to me, is about education. If you can teach a person how to be fit, you empower that person to be strong and to lead a healthy lifestyle. Life is a sport and should be trained for as such. Our daily activities require us to have power, strength, endurance, and agility. Unfortunately, daily life activities are not ergonomic. They create wear and tear from incorrect lifts, repeat stress injuries, asymmetrical strength and flexibility deficits, and unexpected maximum efforts. Translated, this means that picking up children and laundry baskets, carrying groceries in from the car, taking out the trash, walking up and down the stairs with heavy loads, and just trying to keep up with the kids or friends during play and exercise can exert and strain the body in detrimental ways.

By developing functional strength, the strength that comes from performing tasks that closely mimic life activities, you can restore your strength, energy, flexibility, and help resolve chronic pain and fatigue. Functional training gives you a foundation of strength and stability that can more fully support your joints through a full range of motion as you go through your daily routine.

Combining functional strength training with cardiovascular conditioning and healthy diet is the foundation for an enjoyable existence. Learning how to incorporate these aspects of fitness into your weekly routine will have a positive effect on your strength, energy levels, body composition, and general sense of well-being.

Education:

• MS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, May 1999
• BA in Biological Sciences, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, May 1995

Work Experience:

June 1999-October 2001 Triangle Pharmaceuticals
Durham, NC
Research Scientist II
Performed HIV drug research, and supervised lab assistants.

June 1995-April 1999 Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Research Scientist
Performed breast cancer research, and supervised work study students and lab assistants.

Publications

S. Jenkins, Hanfelt, J., Redington, M., Siddle, K., Leek, R., Harris, A., and Ellis, M. “Insulin-like growth factors in human breast cancer” Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Special Issue. 1997

A. Oates, Schumaker, L., Jenkins, S., Pearce, A., DaCosta, S., Arun, B., Ellis, M., “The mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor, a putative breast tumor suppressor gene” Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 47: 269-281, 1998