In Hammond’s own words: “I live in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, and at age 46, I’m enjoying my life as a small business owner and part-time bartender. I’m extremely active in my community and serve as a board member for the Asheville Mardi Gras. I love dressing up in fun costumes all year long and spreading fun and frivolity to our city. To advocate for MS, I decided to live my life in joy, let my community know I have MS, and let everyone know that folks with MS do not need pity, just patience and understanding.” David Lyons: When were you diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and what were your symptoms? Jax Hammond: I was diagnosed in April 2019. My lesions are in my spine only at this time. The main symptom was an extremely weak, heavy left leg with foot drop. I also experienced numbness, tingling, and fatigue. DL: What motivated you to start working out to help battle MS? JH: The first two MS groups I joined were focused on diet and exercise to heal. Hearing the positive outcomes of hundreds of members was all the evidence I needed to get up and move my body! DL: What are your symptoms currently, and have they improved since starting a workout routine? JH: Currently I get mild numbness from time to time, but my leg strength is almost back to normal. In addition, my energy is through the roof, and my mental-emotional state is better than it’s ever been! DL: What is the biggest challenge in your workouts? JH: Consistency. I’m not a natural at time management. My job puts me at the mercy of my clients. I have learned how to multitask. Also, I had to push through some limiting beliefs I had about what I’m still capable of. DL: How did you get started on an exercise program? JH: I started by immersing myself in yoga every day for two weeks. This gave me a gentle, calm way to process my diagnosis and honor my body, mind, and spirit. From there, I started in on the 8-Week MS Challenge online exercise program, which incorporates strength training and exercises aimed at improving balance and mobility. DL: How do you stay motivated to continue an exercise routine? JH: I love bartending and need to be mobile to do what I love. And to stay mobile, I need to move. DL: Are there times when you want to quit or give up? JH: There are still times where I want to slide back into being sedentary, because I get lazy. So each day, I make a choice to give in to my dream of living a vibrant, mobile life. Then I get up and do something — anything. DL: What is your current exercise routine? JH: I use the MS Workouts program two to three times per week, do strength-training two to three times per week, and once a week I’ll do yoga, walk, or dance. Whenever I need a change, I do some swimming. DL: Have you altered your diet since being diagnosed with MS? JH: Oh yes! I follow the diet endorsed by Matt Embry on his website MS Hope and have happily eliminated gluten, dairy, added sugar, and legumes, and reduced saturated fat. DL: How has working out changed your life and helped with your MS? JH: While it has given me back parts of my physical life I thought I lost, the major impact has been on my mindset. I thought MS was going to overtake me and strip me of my identity as a woman. Working out proved that I can be stronger then MS. My body wants to be in optimal health. DL: What is your MS mission? JH: My MS mission is to live a vibrant life with little medical intervention. It’s important that I portray myself as someone rising above the fear centered around a diagnosis like MS, because I believe our outlook controls our outcome.
