If anyone has pondered the benefits of personal training or why weight loss is important (more than just vanity), read this. The following is a letter from a friend and client of our training program. I have not edited a single word in this letter, because I think it says it all:
Probably a little background is in order.
I am 63 years old and have been working with the Anytime Fitness trainers for about two and half years.
I started coming to Anytime after a heart attack and a stent and realized that I didn’t have the willpower to maintain a regular routine without the help of a trainer. Started with one session per week, realized I needed more, went up to twice a week and have just started 3 sessions/week. My wife recently retired so we are on a tighter budget, but we are both agreed that I have to continue with a trainer because it’s the best money we spend. And here’s why.
In my 30’s and early 40’s, I weighed 200-210 lbs and ran 3 or more times a week. Sometime in my middle 40’s I started to lose ground. My weight started creeping up, my knees were complaining so I ran less often and by my early 50’s I was 260 lbs. Walking was okay, but getting up and down was becoming more difficult, kneeling in the garden was painful, especially getting back up, and I had rather severe sleep apnea. I attributed most of this just to getting older.
It was difficult to start with a trainer, I believed that I should be able to do it on my own, and in comparison to my weight training in college, I seemed to be pathetically weak, to the point where it was embarrassing. The mental discipline was far and away the hardest and I couldn’t manage without the constant nudge from my trainer. I still resisted the life style changes required to lose weight, so while I felt better and moved more easily, my weight stayed around 260.
Earlier this year I had a scare which resulted in a trip to the ER and finally decided it was time to get serious about losing some of the excess weight. Again, my trainer had lots of helpful suggestions and steady encouragement. I lost about 30 lbs in 3 months or so and have kept it off for an additional 3 months even over vacation. I am now getting ready to tackle the next 30. What I notice more than anything is how much better I feel. Other people say I look thinner, although I really don’t see it. What I do notice are the little things that crept up on my over the years. My wife says I no longer snore and my CPAP machine has been stuck in the closet. I fall asleep more easily and don’t wake up so tired in the morning.
I don’t have to hold my breath when I bend over to tie my shoes. Getting up and down from the floor when I play with my granddaughter is easier now.
I can maneuver my motorcycle around the driveway without feeling like I am going to drop it at any second and being out of breath after moving it. My knees haven’t bothered me for months now. My balance has improved dramatically. Exercises that used to have me teetering and my trainer reaching out to steady me are now a breeze. I am much more confident riding the motorcycle and lately I have noticed that I often take the stairs at work two at a time, something I haven’t done for decades. I personally don’t care so much about how I look, but man, I really enjoy the improved quality of life.
Luke Andrus 