Motivational Moment: Fit & Strong = Active Quality of Life!

Victory!

Victory is the name of the Melbourne (Australia) Football Club and it’s a fitting theme to represent the success and fun that my clients Trisha and Roy experienced on a 3 week active vacation in Australia.

THP Clients Active in Australia!

Their experience included hiking (stairs, hills, and mountainous areas), biking, kayaking, and jet-skiing with energy and enthusiasm!  This activity would have been difficult if not impossible several months earlier due to surgery, injuries, and a lower level of fitness.

THP Client activity stats from Australia tripI’m privileged to be the facilitator of their journey to a more active lifestyle and it is thrilling to see the results of their hard work.

“I’m tired of holding everyone back whenever we go someplace.”

Trisha came to me in the Spring of 2018 on a referral by her physical therapist after receiving therapy for a shoulder issue. Her physical challenges in addition to the shoulder issue were stiffness and pain in her knees and hips, getting up and down from the floor, and low general fitness.  Trisha was a runner for many years and during high school was active in Track and Field.  As with so many mothers after giving birth to 2 children,  significant weight gain made physical activity a challenge.  It seemed when she tried to be active and lose weight, she would experience an injury.THP Client bking in Australia

Trisha’s goals were to be able to be more active with less or no pain, move better, lose weight, and be able to enjoy the Australian vacation that she and Roy had planned for the Spring of 2019.  Better fitness would equal a more active and fun vacation.

I worked with Trisha 1 – 2 days per week to build better mobility, core/trunk strength, and overall strength.  Outside of our training sessions, she worked out an additional 3 – 4 days per week including a short strength training session and/or interval training on her elliptical machine.  Foam rolling and stretching are an important part of her routines in order continue improving mobility.

In order to achieve her weight loss goal, she incorporated better nutritional and portion control (Nutrition is 70 – 80% of the equation for weight management).  Being a former athlete, Trisha was able to keep her eye on the prize.

Shoulder surgery 4 months prior to vacation

Roy came to me in the Winter of 2019 (2 1/2 months prior to their Australian vacation) after shoulder surgery and physical therapy.  Roy’s challenges in addition to the shoulder surgery include a demanding work-travel schedule.  Many hours on an airplane can take their toll on muscle and joint stiffness and can contribute to difficulties achieving and maintaining mobility and an optimal fitness level.THP Client on JetSki in Australia!

Roy was a competitive swimmer in high school. His goals included being able to swim for fitness and health, losing weight, improving posture, shoulder, and back health, and to be able to kayak with Trisha.

When Roy is not traveling for work I work with him 1 day per week.  The focus is on continuing to improve mobility and shoulder health, core/trunk strength, and overall strength.  All of these allow him to include swimming as part of his fitness regimen with a reduced risk of injury. 

While Roy is traveling he takes advantage of the hotel pools and gyms, and also has a hotel/travel workout that he is able to execute.  He has some equipment that he is able to pack easily for use on his trips.

The activities that Roy experienced while on their Australian vacation are not trivial!  One must be fit to handle a Jet-ski without injury – especially in the shoulders and low back. THP Client Hiking in Australia!

What does it take to be more active?

When our Doctors say that we need to eat right and exercise, most of us ignore that advice.  It takes one small step at a time!  Roy and Trisha are model clients in that they started with small steps and we’ve progressed the workouts to make them stronger and fitter.

As we age, it is important to be active as many days of the week as possible.  Roy and Trisha have included physical activity as part of their lives and continue to get stronger.

Roy and Trisha are also much more active with yard work to the point where they have learned to make it a workout.  In addition, moving their college-aged kids to and from college – a significant physical challenge for them at one time – is now a more efficient process that they can do.

I continue to be privileged to work with Roy and Trisha and look forward to helping them work towards their next adventure!

And Trisha?

No one waits for her any more!

Clients hiking in Australia!“After having had two knee surgeries and one shoulder surgery between us, our big goal for personal training was to be able to truly enjoy our long-planned trip to Australia. We were thrilled to be able to take a very active outdoor vacation and feel great at the end of every day! From hiking to cycling to kayaking, Kevin got us fit and ready for everything Australia had to offer. Thanks!”  – Roy and Trisha