Healthy Living • Y Stories • YMCA Health and Fitness
Why Pat’s stuck with her personal trainer for 16 years
30 November 2016 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
Pat knew she had to tackle her health issues after she had a few scary falls, but felt overwhelmed and discouraged every time she tried to get active. Personal trainer Andrea got her on the right track and helped her stick with her new lifestyle for 16 years. Here’s Pat’s Y Story:
I’ve been a Y member for years, but always struggled to find the time to work out. Between work and finishing my MBA, I found myself only getting to a few cardio classes every now and then. When I was in my 50s, I wound up gaining 40 pounds, and the lack of exercise had some serious consequences for my health: I had really low energy; my doctor found some thickening of my heart walls; and my balance had totally deteriorated, leading to a few bad falls that required stitches. That’s when I knew I had to change.
I decided to get a personal trainer, because I wanted to have fixed workout appointments that I felt obligated to keep. One day while I was at the Y, I saw a trainer named Andrea working with one of her clients. I instantly liked that they seemed to be having fun. Andrea wasn’t just standing there watching the member sweat it out on the treadmill; they were doing the exercises together, so Andrea could demonstrate their form properly. I eventually approached Andrea and asked if she thought she could help me lose some weight, get my health back in check, and help me figure out how to track my progress.
Andrea quickly learned that I needed a workout routine that didn’t make me feel overwhelmed. She saw that I could get discouraged easily, so she helped me set goals that were realistic. Tackling each goal helped keep me on track and motivated, because it made me feel like I was really making progress for the first time.
That was 16 years ago. Over the years, Andrea’s helped me transition from higher impact and heavier weight training to more functional workouts that help me maintain my flexibility and balance. She’s constantly changing up my program so it’s refreshing and challenging, but also attainable and safe for me.
My favourite part about working with Andrea is the sense of support and motivation she gives me. After each session, I feel so accomplished; I always leave feeling better than when I showed up.
Training also helps me cope with the stress from my very busy and demanding job. It feels so good to be able to take a step back for a few hours, put my mind at rest, and focus on myself. Andrea’s taught me the importance of doing something every day to nourish my body and my mind, and her guidance has really helped me maintain a better work-life balance. After all, that’s the whole point of trying to get healthy: I work out and eat well because I want to live every day to the fullest. Thanks to Andrea, I still can, even at 68 years old!
I’ve been a Y member for years, but always struggled to find the time to work out. Between work and finishing my MBA, I found myself only getting to a few cardio classes every now and then. When I was in my 50s, I wound up gaining 40 pounds, and the lack of exercise had some serious consequences for my health: I had really low energy; my doctor found some thickening of my heart walls; and my balance had totally deteriorated, leading to a few bad falls that required stitches. That’s when I knew I had to change.
I decided to get a personal trainer, because I wanted to have fixed workout appointments that I felt obligated to keep. One day while I was at the Y, I saw a trainer named Andrea working with one of her clients. I instantly liked that they seemed to be having fun. Andrea wasn’t just standing there watching the member sweat it out on the treadmill; they were doing the exercises together, so Andrea could demonstrate their form properly. I eventually approached Andrea and asked if she thought she could help me lose some weight, get my health back in check, and help me figure out how to track my progress.
Andrea quickly learned that I needed a workout routine that didn’t make me feel overwhelmed. She saw that I could get discouraged easily, so she helped me set goals that were realistic. Tackling each goal helped keep me on track and motivated, because it made me feel like I was really making progress for the first time.
That was 16 years ago. Over the years, Andrea’s helped me transition from higher impact and heavier weight training to more functional workouts that help me maintain my flexibility and balance. She’s constantly changing up my program so it’s refreshing and challenging, but also attainable and safe for me.
My favourite part about working with Andrea is the sense of support and motivation she gives me. After each session, I feel so accomplished; I always leave feeling better than when I showed up.
Training also helps me cope with the stress from my very busy and demanding job. It feels so good to be able to take a step back for a few hours, put my mind at rest, and focus on myself. Andrea’s taught me the importance of doing something every day to nourish my body and my mind, and her guidance has really helped me maintain a better work-life balance. After all, that’s the whole point of trying to get healthy: I work out and eat well because I want to live every day to the fullest. Thanks to Andrea, I still can, even at 68 years old!
