Life of Mobility: Explore the Journey of Local Business Owner and Fitness Enthusiast, Lauren Sok

Physical activity can play a pivotal role in our daily lives to maintain a lifetime of healthy mobility and well-being. As we strive to improve our bodies daily, we begin to seek new opportunities throughout the community to help keep us engaged. From community-based interventions to new technologies that help connect us in newer ways, it may be overwhelming to choose where to begin. With that in hand, the Perimeter Chamber had the amazing opportunity to speak with local business entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast, Lauren Sok, as she spoke on her journey to becoming a notable community physical therapist and emerging key influencer in the running community

Earlier this week, our team had the opportunity to connect with Sok, founder of Funtionize Health and one of the four leading developers of Active Dunwoody, as she spoke about the challenges, she faced in starting her own business and her following passion for supporting the community engagement in the health and wellness industry. Sok first opened  Funtionize Health in June 2015 in Decatur, Georgia, to help athletes and fitness enthusiasts reach their goals by providing support in their mobility training in their day-to-day lives. Since then, her vision for encouraging her community to pursue an active, engaging lifestyle has been a dream come true, leading her to open another location in Dunwoody, Georgia. 

The success of both studios has launched many new beginnings for local athletes, welcoming their services to anyone in the community- no matter their age or level of physical activity. Sok and her physical therapists seek to show the life-long benefits of increasing your physical activity throughout the years by conducting running analysis to support local runners, workouts to help build strength throughout your body, and other great services to improve your muscle mass.

Her initiative for developing positive lifestyle changes doesn’t just involve her work with Functionize Health, Sok is also one of four leading founders of Active Dunwoody- Dunwoody’s newest family-friendly social fitness group that promotes healthy and active lifestyles that holds meetups 2-3 times montly throughout the community and encompass things like yoga, running and walking groups, local scavenger hunts, beer crawls, and more.. After coming together less than a year ago, Active Dunwoody has supported over 2,500 in their running journeys by utilizing Facebook and Instagram to inform athletes about their meetups. The social club offers collaborations with other local fitness organizations like Alloy Personal Training, to help runners prepare for their upcoming races in months to come.

As a community physical therapist, Sok’s work, and training have played a vital role in the running community. Her impact stretches beyond her sessions at Funtionize Health, but also in the parks, trails, and streets where she continues to inspire others to be the best versions of themselves. By promoting an active lifestyle, emphasizing the prevention of athletic injuries, and contributing to the fitness community, Sok has greatly expanded opportunities for fitness and wellness throughout the community.