My Journey to Empowering Older Adults Through Strength Training

So, how did I get into the business of helping older adults and cancer survivors build strength training routines into their lives?

When I was in college attending fitness classes, I would daydream about how fun it seemed to be that instructor. But I could never do that - I was studying chemistry, where I had to prioritize my time and focus to get through those classes! Then I went on to a masters’ in Food Technology. No time for teaching fitness still - I had all these science degrees to use and loans to pay back!

Years later I’d settled into my steady job as a Food Product Developer and decided to start asking fitness instructors how they got these fun side jobs. This led to my first part-time job at a gym - just a few hours a week in the early morning hours before my “real job”. I learned very quickly that my favorite clients to work with were older adults - they had amazing stories to tell, wisdom to share and were so appreciative of the strength gains that helped them feel more confident in their daily lives. The most memorable turning point was working with a 92 year old woman - Lois. She was a colleague’s client’s mother who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s and needed someone to come to her home to help her exercise. Visiting her twice per week and seeing her (at 92!!) improving her strength and dexterity was incredible! This was what I wanted to do.

Fast forward a few more years and many courses later, and I had left behind Food Technology to work full time at a gym that focused mainly on working with older adults. I loved it! As happens with age, some clients started getting some very challenging cancer diagnoses - in an effort to help them through this as best I could, I took classes and learned everything I could about how and what exercise could do for them in their journeys. It became clear that the strength they’d built via our training had helped them tremendously in their recovery and having a gradual and slow re-introduction to exercise after surgeries and treatments was another huge help. This led me to adding “cancer exercise specialist” to my growing list of certifications.

Since then, I have collected up all those courses and experiences to build my own growing online business that focuses on the needs of older adults and cancer survivors. I now dream of building a team of qualified, professional and compassionate trainers that can continue to help even MORE older adults stay strong and enjoy their golden years. So far, I have helped over 100 clients through these challenges and plan to keep helping hundreds more! I look forward to continuing to use what I’m learning to help my clients, my future team and myself!

If you’re looking for help with your fitness routine based on your own goals and limitations, then my personal training services could be just what you need. You can book a free consultation here!