Mallory Fox Suffered A Traumatic Brain Injury. Now She Helps Others Overcome Life-Changing Events Through Mindfulness & Movement

@drfoxyfit

About me: I was born in Scottsdale Arizona and still live here today. I’m a passionate overthinker who loves to help others and strives to make the world a better place.

Movement has always been a way of life

I learned to swim before I could walk, and at the age of 5, I began swimming competitively. I studied to be a personal trainer and started my business, Foxy Fitness. I was on the go all the time - typically, I’d spend 18+ hours on my feet each day, working with clients and exercising. I ran marathons and was training for a triathlon.

The injury that changed my life

In 2018, I was in a car accident and developed a traumatic brain injury. My active lifestyle came to a complete halt - life kind of stopped in its tracks. I lost my eyesight in one eye. I spent months not being able to move much at all due to my injuries. I had to reevaluate what movement meant. I learned to do a lot of chair yoga and focused on different types of movement that I could do lying down or seated. I bought a Peloton bike to do low intensity cardio.

Helping others conquer their brain injuries

What I do now is help people after a life-changing event, through mindfulness and movement. We can all move in some way. Sometimes movement is simply breath work. For me, movement doesn’t look the way it used to, like running marathons, but movement is movement and that’s what matters.

I also volunteer with the Love Your Brain Foundation. They foster resilience and community-building in the traumatic brain injury community. I currently facilitate an online mindset program, which includes weekly discussions for survivors of brain injuries and their caregivers, and I also fundraise for the Foundation.

"What I do now is help people after a life-changing event, through mindfulness and movement. We can all move in some way. Sometimes movement is simply breath work."

Resilience, vulnerability, and embracing obstacles

Resilience was one of the values that I latched onto to get through my experience. A huge part of resilience is having that space within one’s self to be vulnerable and share how you’re really doing. We all want to get to the part where we’re through it, we’ve conquered the obstacle. But it’s important to be open about the struggle that we’re facing. I still struggle with this journey, but I try to be open about it and embrace the mess in order to move through it.

"A huge part of resilience is having that space within one’s self to be vulnerable and share how you’re really doing."

In the running to be the next Yoga Warrior

I’m working on a really cool project with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, which will launch this summer, but I can’t say more about it right now. I am also in a contest to be the next Yoga Warrior – the prize is a feature in the Yoga Journal and $10K to support my work to make mindfulness accessible to all. 

Fitness tips

1. Put self-care first. Every morning, I have a practice of checking in with myself - I do a full body scan to check in with every part of my body, see how I’m feeling, and do some gentle movement. My biggest tip would be - don’t wait for something else to force you to slow down; be proactive and create a ritual of checking in and making time for self-care.
2. Be flexible. We tend to be really rigid with what fitness should feel and look like. It’s not always sustainable to get an intense workout in or keep a rigid diet. Be flexible about what fitness can realistically look like season to season, day to day, year to year.

Daily Skincare Routine

My skin is combination - oily in some spots, dry in others. With the current mask situation, I also started developing acne for the first time in my life, especially in the summertime because the mask was trapping sweat on my skin. 

I love using PURIFY ME during my morning shower, and then I use GLOW ME. I’m super light on skincare and makeup, so that takes me through the day. In the evening, I cleanse with PURIFY ME, and then I use pure ARGAN OIL. I use DETOX ME once a week, and just on spots that feel oily, like my nose.

Nighttime ritual

Every night before bedtime, I do an affirmation ritual. This is when I use I AM LOVE, and I’ll just tap it on. This is my favorite FRÉ - I just love the scent!

Rapid Fire:

• Favorite exercise? Yogi squat
• What does sweat mean to you? Salt
• What comes to mind when you think of FRÉ? Fun, community
• What are you most excited about in life right now? Challenge & opportunities
• What’s something you’d still love to learn? To play the guitar
• If you were a hashtag, what would you be? #mindfulminute
• What is your mantra? I’m doing the best I can
• What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received in your life? Take one step at a time
• What is an issue that you wish we spoke about more often? Mental health
• What does women’s empowerment mean in 2021? Equality and accountability for people in power
• What are your dreams for the FRÉ community? To see the women in the FRÉ community excel on a global level. To elevate the women in the community & support each woman to live her dream