In an effort to take control of her life once again, one woman begins at the gym. (Photo by Garen Meguerian, Flickr)

Clunk! Carla dropped the weights, her arms too weak to curl fifty pounds at once. She hadn’t been to the gym in years, and she winced from the effort. Sweat dripped from her brow, her face was flushed, and she felt as though she wanted to vomit. She chugged some water and wiped her face, then tried a lighter weight and successfully completed a set, even if it was a little on the shaky side.