Ásta Kristjánsdóttir, a primary school teacher at Hofsstaðaskóli in Garðabær, was born and raised in the Vestmannaeyjar Islands, where she played handball and badminton. However, when she was twenty, she was diagnosed with severe arthritis, which forced her to stop playing sports. By taking Feel Iceland collagen, the stiffness in her joints has decreased significantly, allowing her to move much more than before. Ásta has also experienced positive changes in her digestion, hair and nails.
The arthritis came as a surprise
"The arthritis started violently in most of the joints in my body and I had difficulty with the simplest movements and most daily activities. I had a hard time believing that I, a twenty-year-old, playing handball full-time, had arthritis. The arthritis manifests itself in such a way that it wants to take over, you really rarely know what the next day will bring in terms of health," says Ásta. "I easily swell up in various places and sometimes I am limp until noon, but then the stiffness often improves as the day goes on. My arthritis is also very energy-consuming, but I also have fibromyalgia and it takes its toll."
Moves as best she can
"Arthritis has had a huge impact on my life. I was determined to practice handball for a while after I was diagnosed, but it didn't work, despite trying various medications," says Ásta. "So I turned to coaching handball at Stjörnunn, the team I was playing for when I was diagnosed, and did so for fifteen years."
"I have always been interested in sports, exercise and a healthy lifestyle, and even more so when I need to take care of my health. Despite having stopped competitive sports, I have always been diligent in exercising as circumstances allow," says Ásta. "Now I swim, walk and do power Pilates when my health allows."
"I have had a few surgeries on my limbs to combat the various complications of arthritis. But I have also learned a lot from this, such as that good health is not a given and you have to work at it yourself despite your illnesses," says Ásta. "I have also been lucky to have professionals who have helped me, such as rheumatologists and physiotherapists, and I am very grateful for that. I have heard from them that if I were not so diligent in doing everything I am doing and taking such good care of myself, I would be much worse off."
Passionate about sports and health
"My family and I have been on the same page in everything sports-related, and I have been on most of the committees and parent councils surrounding my daughters' handball and football activities, as well as holding various board positions within Stjörnunn," says Ásta. "It is incredibly rewarding and positive to be able to support your children on the sidelines and then you get to know so many great people around sports.
In my work, I have had the opportunity to teach, among other things, relaxation and meditation, leadership training and various other things related to physical and mental health and are very important, but in my opinion, relaxation should be offered in all schools,” says Ásta. “I am also a yoga nidra teacher and have studied children's yoga teacher training. It has been great to see the children at the school grow and thrive in this work and experience how well they have mastered relaxation and meditation. I am also a trainer at KVAN where, among other things, I have presented my methods in teaching leadership training and shared them with other professionals.”
Deteriorates quickly without the collagen
"I was introduced to Feel Iceland's collagen through Helga Lind, my Pilates teacher. She recommended that I try it to see if it would work alongside medication and other treatments," says Ásta. "I'm always optimistic about improving my health and thought it would be interesting to try it, because I've been looking for many ways to improve my health.
"I put the collagen powder in my coffee in the morning and then take the recommended daily dose of Joint Rewind capsules. After taking the collagen for two months, I started to feel a difference. Not only in my joints, but also in my digestion, hair and nails," explains Ásta. "By taking Feel Iceland collagen regularly, my stiffness has decreased significantly, which means I can move more.
"I feel the biggest difference when I stop taking it. Then it usually becomes clear what effect it has on a person," says Ásta. "Collagen has therefore become part of my morning routine and is one of the many factors that promote improved health."
