My first blog…ever!

I have considered blogging for, well, years to be honest. I’ve always enjoyed writing. I was editor of my sixth grade newspaper (I went to an editors’ retreat and everything!) and basically have considered myself a professional ever since! However, I’ve never really done it…yes, I’ve written an article here and there over the years, but never my own blog (part of my problem is I have too many ideas). I don’t know why, but for some reason, decided today is the day! If I never start, I’ll never start. So here you go…

I’m Dr. Kristin Ochs, and I’ve been a chiropractor for over ten years now. This blog will be about all things health and wellness in the future, but this first post is about me.

Chiropractic isn’t my first profession - no, I took a long and very scenic route to get here - but it’s definitely been rewarding and I’m so glad I finally made it! I’ve always been a bit of a fitness nut. In high school, I would workout before and after school. I played varsity and intramurals (do the kids still do that?). Twice a week I would beg my parents to let me stay out past curfew so I could play volleyball at Lifestyles Gym right here in Visalia. I’d do core exercises and stretches while studying and lifted weights in the mornings - I wanted Madonna arms so bad!

In my twenties, I worked as a personal trainer at a large corporate gym in Portland, OR and was quickly promoted to Fitness and Nutrition Director. I worked out between clients and ended up becoming a bit of an exercise anorexic with binge eating disorder. (I would preach and practice clean eating whenever people were looking, but then I’d sneak out for cheeseburgers, fries and shakes in the middle of the night and throw all the evidence in a dumpster!) My relationship with food and exercise was a tad on the unhealthy side. It wasn’t until much later, that I realized how bad it had gotten.

I loved working with clients. My special certifications included Corrective Exercise Specialist, so I worked with special populations to help them gain better function in their daily activities. Watching “little old ladies” regain their balance and independence under my guidance was awe-inspiring (and ultimately what led me to the chiropractic profession).

I also trained for sports performance and military PT tests - those were fun! “Yes ma’am, what next?” I worked with prospective Army Rangers, Marines and Navy recruits to prepare for their physical fitness tests. I loved, LOVED, being a personal trainer! I loved my diverse set of clients. I loved spending all day at the gym, in my active wear, helping people move better. I would have never stopped, but the economy crashed in 2008 and I couldn’t make ends meet anymore, so I decided to go back to school. My love for the human body led me to enroll in chiropractic school.

The program is long and hard, and I was getting a late start, so I decided to make it shorter and really hard…lol. I enrolled in an accelerated undergrad program at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Overland Park, KS. After 14 months of full-time school, working four jobs to make ends meet, I had the equivalent of three years toward my BS in Human Biology and enrolled in a concurrent degree program at University of Western States and relocated back to Portland, OR. I completed my undergrad and doctorate in 4.5 years total…yep, eight years of schooling crammed into 4.5 (all while working).

The last 15 years have really shaped me as a person. I’ve done so much personal growth during that time. Through all the twists and turns life has to offer, I find myself settling into this role as chiropractor with more ease than I have in the past. I’m embracing my love for helping others, while protecting my personal time and mental health. At the end of the day, I know that I’ve poured myself into my patients to help them feel their best and that’s all I can do.

This year, I embarked on a side passion project to host a wellness retreat. I teamed up with two amazing ladies and we’ve been planning away. It’s strange to think that it’s just around the corner now! This has been an eye-opening and humbling experience to see everyone come together to create and amazing day focused on pouring into our community!

Thanks for reading my little corner of the world. I think a lot of times, we just overthink ourselves out of doing things, so here is a messy action first blog for you. Not perfect, but neither am I ;-).