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She Spent 6 Weeks in the ICU. Now She’s Crushing Pull-Ups and Saving Lives.

She Was Told Her Fitness Saved Her Life — And She Didn’t Stop There

How LP member Jennifer went from ICU bedrest to pull-ups and RKC certification

 Some stories stop you in your tracks.

They remind you why you do the work. Why you keep showing up. Why strength is never just about the body.

Jennifer’s story is one of those.

She’s a mom, a physician, and a longtime member of Lauren’s Playground. But a couple years ago, she faced something unimaginable: a life-threatening carotid dissection that landed her in the ICU for 6 weeks on strict bedrest.

The fear, the uncertainty, the physical toll — it would’ve been enough to make anyone give up. But Jennifer didn’t. Instead, she rebuilt herself from the ground up.

And now? She’s RKC and StrongFirst certified, banging out pull-ups, training before sunrise, and balancing it all with a demanding career and family life.

Her words speak for themselves. I’m honored to share them here.




🗣️ What would you tell someone who’s in the middle of a major setback or recovery and feeling like progress is impossible?

I know how frustrating this is firsthand.
I remember feeling really down and terrified that I would have a recurrence of the carotid dissection.

After being on strict bed rest for so long, I felt so de-conditioned and weak. I also had challenges with my movement patterns, balance, and proprioception. My right upper extremity did not want to follow what I wanted it to do.

My mantra became:
“I have nothing but time.”

That reminded me that I actually have all the time in the world to recover — I just needed to take it one day at a time.

Each week I kept track of my progress and saw I was improving. Eventually, I set a goal: to get my RKC kettlebell certification and my StrongFirst barbell certification.

I accomplished both about two years after my injury.


🧠 What role has strength training played in your recovery?

Because of the unique aspects of my injury and the need for collateral blood flow to my brain, one of the neurologists in the ICU told me:

"Your level of fitness saved your life."

After being discharged, even the outpatient PT was shocked at how much strength I’d retained. Sure, I had lost some muscle mass but I started with a solid foundation thanks to years of strength training.

I only met with the physical therapist once. She said I could probably manage my own recovery  and I did.

I was so thankful for Lauren’s kettlebell programs. I needed help with strength, conditioning, balance, and proprioception — and her workouts hit every one of those areas.


🏋️‍♀️ Is there one program or movement that made a big impact?

I love all of Lauren’s programs  the mix of strength, conditioning, and mobility is just incredible.

My absolute favorites? Kettlebell snatches and pull-ups.

I love Some stories stop you in your tracks.

They remind you why you do the work. Why you keep showing up. Why strength is never just about the body.

Jennifer’s story is one of those.

She’s a mom, a physician, and a longtime member of Lauren’s Playground. But a couple years ago, she faced something unimaginable: a life-threatening carotid dissection that landed her in the ICU for 6 weeks on strict bedrest.

The fear, the uncertainty, the physical toll  it would’ve been enough to make anyone give up. But Jennifer didn’t. Instead, she rebuilt herself from the ground up.

And now? She’s RKC and StrongFirst certified, banging out pull-ups, training before sunrise, and balancing it all with a demanding career and family life.

Her words speak for themselves. I’m honored to share them here.


🗣️ What would you tell someone who’s in the middle of a major setback or recovery and feeling like progress is impossible?

I know how frustrating this is firsthand.
I remember feeling really down and terrified that I would have a recurrence of the carotid dissection.

After being on strict bed rest for so long, I felt so de-conditioned and weak. I also had challenges with my movement patterns, balance, and proprioception. My right upper extremity did not want to follow what I wanted it to do.

My mantra became:
“I have nothing but time.”

That reminded me that I actually have all the time in the world to recover  I just needed to take it one day at a time.

Each week I kept track of my progress and saw I was improving. Eventually, I set a goal: to get my RKC kettlebell certification and my StrongFirst barbell certification.

I accomplished both about two years after my injury.


🧠 What role has strength training played in your recovery?

Because of the unique aspects of my injury and the need for collateral blood flow to my brain, one of the neurologists in the ICU told me:

"Your level of fitness saved your life."

After being discharged, even the outpatient PT was shocked at how much strength I’d retained. Sure, I had lost some muscle mass — but I started with a solid foundation thanks to years of strength training.

I only met with the physical therapist once. She said I could probably manage my own recovery  and I did.

I was so thankful for Lauren’s kettlebell programs. I needed help with strength, conditioning, balance, and proprioception — and her workouts hit every one of those areas.


🏋️‍♀️ Is there one program or movement that made a big impact?

I love all of Lauren’s programs  the mix of strength, conditioning, and mobility is just incredible.

My absolute favorites? Kettlebell snatches and pull-ups.

I love being able to do several pull-ups in a row. I never take that for granted.


🕔 How do you stay consistent as a busy mom and physician?

It’s something I’ve had to figure out over time.

I’m lucky to have a garage gym with kettlebells, TRX, battle ropes, and more. I usually wake up at 5am to train before work. On days off, I get in a longer session if I can.

And I definitely take rest days — I listen to my body and schedule.

What I love about kettlebells is that even a 10- or 20-minute workout can be incredibly effective.

I used to get stuck in perfectionism, thinking I had to follow a plan exactly or it didn’t count. If I couldn’t get the “perfect” workout in, I’d skip it entirely. What a waste!

Now I do what I can, when I can. And it works.


❤️ Final Thoughts

Jennifer ended her message with this:

“Thank you again so much for all you do. YOU are the inspiration!”

But let’s be clear: Jennifer is the inspiration.

Her story is a reminder that strength isn't about never falling.
It's about getting back up. It’s about trusting the process. And it’s about doing the work — even in the face of fear, loss, or setbacks.

Jennifer didn’t just survive.
She came back stronger — with muscle, with purpose, and with a message every woman needs to hear:

“You have nothing but time. But you do have to start.

Ready to build your own comeback story?


Jennifer is one of hundreds of women inside Lauren’s Playground  my online strength and conditioning community designed specifically for women who want to get stronger, reclaim their bodies, and feel supported through every season of life.

We’ve got 50+ follow-along programs, live coaching, form checks, and one of the most real, no-BS communities you’ll ever find.

Enrollment closes tonight at 9pm Pacific.
If you’ve been thinking about joining, now’s the time.

👉 Click here to join Lauren’s Playground 

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