I am so excited!!!! My client, Vicki told me I had to brag on my blog today. My son, Boone received a scholarship to the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). I am so elated and excited for his opportunity. Boone’s entire life has been focused around art. He desires to become a graphic designer or animator. Interesting story… about a month ago Boone received a letter and the address looked like it was written by a younger kid (not a teenager) and the return address was from his middle school. I thought this odd, considering Boone is a senior in high school. My first thought was a teacher had his/her middle school class write a note to a graduating Senior. Well, when I handed Boone the envelope I immediately recognized the “younger” handwriting on the envelope. It was Boone’s! He laughed and immediately knew what the letter was about. He had a project in 8th grade where each student was to write a letter to themselves in the future and they would receive the letter their senior year. (what a great teacher for sending them out 4 years later). We read the letter and it was the most wonderful look into the mind of a 14 year old. He expressed his ambition after high school was to attend a college that focused on animation and how much he admired the film industry and wanted to help to keep this industry alive. He shared a secret of being afraid of squirrels and more touching, which made me tear up, that the two people he admired and loved the most were his mom and dad. He shared that he considered us his role models. This was the biggest gift to me, because his Dad and I split years ago and I have always worried how divorce would affect my children. The really cool outcome of the letter was his dream of becoming an animator and that he will now be going to a college of the arts. I believe in dreams.
Today was a fun day with my small groups. I generally run 5 small groups a day (each one runs 55 minutes), averaging 3 – 6 people. I begin groups daily between 6am and 6:30am. I have 5 minute breaks (just long enough for me to run to the bathroom) before training the next group. Some of my groups focus on traditional strength training, others focus on pilates, some focus on interval training and cardio. All the groups are unique. Today is one of my big Stott pilates training days. I have several groups that train on the Stott pilates reformer machine. If you look up the Stott pilates reformer machine on-line, it looks like an ancient torture machine. Conversely, it is a soft form of exercise with amazing results. One of my groups, Pat, Laura and Vicki and Amanda have trained with me for about 1 ½ years now. They are a hoot and share the funniest stories. You met Vicki in one of my earlier blogs. She had a car accident while pregnant years ago which caused major damage to her foot and had to basically have it sewn back on. She recently had reconstructive surgery to get more mobility and movement and has been working hard for months to get her range of motion and feeling back into her foot. Between her strength training days each week and her pilates training each week, you would be amazed what she can do! Vicki is also very, very witty and has a dry sense of humor and a huge heart (but I won’t tell you that because she doesn’t let everyone know she’s really a softy). Pat, she’s my Italian. She has the most amazing brown eyes and salt a pepper hair that many woman would die to have (no pun intended). She was obese at one time in her life and if you saw her now, you would never, ever believe her story. Truly beautiful. Pat loves learning what all the muscles are that we are working and enjoys sharing what she knows even when traveling home to Italy to visit family. She loved being asked”how did she get those pretty legs”. (great story). Laura is one of my first clients and just a dear. She and her hubby have their own company and they work very hard. She is my client that loves to share stories about her boys. Laura has scoliosis and is very tall. The reformer training has done miracles for her back and back pain. Laura claims “bragging” rights for her success. It took me forever to get her to buy pants that fit so she could show off her changing body. We pick on her that she can now show off her cute butt. Amanda, the youngest one in the group with small children came to me because she had gained weight after having her children and just generally didn’t feel good about herself. One of the first goals I had with Amanda was to get her balance under control. She was actually scared to carry her children up and down stairs because she wasn’t stable. This is not generally seen this early in life, but for Amanda the balance control was being lost early. Well, bragging for Amanda, she has no issues with balance anymore and let me tell you what, her core is so strong. She learned early (she’s in her 30’s) how important balance and core work is to keep us upright as we age.
You may ask how do men and woman afford to do training with a trainer several times a week? It’s simple. Group training is very inexpensive and opens up the opportunity for average people to have what only the wealthy had at one time. You get to learn proper technique and form and also be introduced to different kinds of exercise many would not have ever experienced. Many of my clients, not all of them, were very uncomfortable with a gym setting when I met them for the first time. The clientele I work with does not expect to look like Barbie or Ken. Their goals are generally to lose some weight and more importantly feel better in general. Many have been told by a doctor that they need to become more active due to cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar or just general health. In America 60% of the population has no idea how to become active and make life changes to enhance the quality of their life. This is where I come in and help. Over time, as clients feel and see results, they gain confidence. Believe it or not, learning how to change your posture alone is how I gain trust from my clients in their first appointment. No kidding…..
Well, I have to sleep now, morning comes early. We are supposed to wake up to some snow tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted (pun intended – LOL)
Mary Anne
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Home Again, Home Again….
Happy Monday!!! I hope you had a nice day and that you are enjoying your evening. I was happy today myself!!! We had nice weather this weekend and I finally got to enjoy being outdoors. I rode my bike both Saturday and Sunday. I love how fresh air makes you feel – yeah!!!
I wanted to share that I spoke with Debbie today and she is at her Mothers and doing well. Thank you for praying for Debbie!! She had a double mastectomy last week after finding out just a week before that she had stage III breast cancer. Her positive attitude and happy personality is holding strong through this adversity. I told her tonight that I admired her courage and strength and was so proud of her amazing ability to smile and laugh throughout this process. We spoke openly about what is to come for her in the future, the healing process, the rebuilding of her breast and the chemotherapy to come in a few weeks. She spoke to me about shopping for a wig and that she is getting her hair cut short so she can be prepared when her hair falls out. The whole time we are conversing, Debbie is positive and not complaining once or even uttering a negative comment about her ordeal. Interesting enough, she feels this must be happening for a reason and even spoke of becoming a personal trainer to help others. (one door closes another door opens). I told you she is a natural cheerleader!!! I’m so glad I was blessed with the pleasure of meeting Debbie
Debbie shared with me a wonderful story. The nurse was showing her exercises that she needed to do for the recovery process. The nurse asked Debbie to draw her shoulder blades down and back. The nurse was amazed that Debbie did this was such ease and strength. The nurse commented that she rarely has women able to create this movement of the shoulder blades after surgery. Debbie laughed and told the nurse that she had learned all about scapula placement and had worked on strengthening the back and scapula in her small group training because it helps improve our posture and balance as we age. (talk about walking advertisement) I laughed so hard and was so pleased that this was so helpful to her. Debbie also shared that she is unable to use her upper body at this time so she has had to rely on her legs. She also commented that her legs were so strong and had been a huge help to hold her up, help her get up from her seated position and laying down and she realized her legs were not fatigued. Again, I laughed and enjoyed her excitement as she shared her news
Little Ber is home!!!! Again, prayers answered In my last blog I had shared that Ber, who is 6 years old with neuroblastoma (a rare children’s cancer) had underwent surgery last week to remove a piece of his ribcage. He has been fighting this horrible cancer since November of 2007. The following morning after surgery the doctors believed he had suffered a stroke. Everyone was devastated. Well, as time passed, he slowly regained feeling in his legs and his vision returned to normal. The doctors believe he suffered a seizure. This was music to everyone I saw Amber last night and we embraced and I could feel her huge relief Let me tell you, Amber and Steve, (Ber’s parents) are the most incredible couple who have worked hard for this fight for not just Ber but for other children. I urge you to read their blog at caringbridge.com.
It was a very busy Monday for me. I began training my first group at 6am. The first group of the morning are three of my new clients who are just learning the basics of posture and alignment and core stability. I have to tell you, this always amazes people when they learn about why their body does what it does. For example, I walk like a duck. My feet turn out. I have walked this way my entire life. This quickly, would tell a trainer that focuses on muscle movements patterns, that I am a naturally strong in the external muscles of my legs and buttocks but may be weak on the insides of my legs. One of my clients this morning has a head that extends forward of her body. This means when she is on her back and lays her head down on a flat surface her chin may point to the ceiling or her head may roll way back. Her chest also rises and she feels very uncomfortable. Therefore, when attempting to do abdominal work or just lying on the floor to watch TV, she will need to put a rolled up towels or cushion under her head so her head would be in flattened position and aligned in a straight line with her spine. This position change with the cushion or towel will immediately take discomfort or pressure off her neck and shoulders. You see, simple posture alignment changes make huge differences in our daily lives.
I hope you have a wonderful evening and enjoy watching the Olympics!! MaryAnne
I wanted to share that I spoke with Debbie today and she is at her Mothers and doing well. Thank you for praying for Debbie!! She had a double mastectomy last week after finding out just a week before that she had stage III breast cancer. Her positive attitude and happy personality is holding strong through this adversity. I told her tonight that I admired her courage and strength and was so proud of her amazing ability to smile and laugh throughout this process. We spoke openly about what is to come for her in the future, the healing process, the rebuilding of her breast and the chemotherapy to come in a few weeks. She spoke to me about shopping for a wig and that she is getting her hair cut short so she can be prepared when her hair falls out. The whole time we are conversing, Debbie is positive and not complaining once or even uttering a negative comment about her ordeal. Interesting enough, she feels this must be happening for a reason and even spoke of becoming a personal trainer to help others. (one door closes another door opens). I told you she is a natural cheerleader!!! I’m so glad I was blessed with the pleasure of meeting Debbie
Debbie shared with me a wonderful story. The nurse was showing her exercises that she needed to do for the recovery process. The nurse asked Debbie to draw her shoulder blades down and back. The nurse was amazed that Debbie did this was such ease and strength. The nurse commented that she rarely has women able to create this movement of the shoulder blades after surgery. Debbie laughed and told the nurse that she had learned all about scapula placement and had worked on strengthening the back and scapula in her small group training because it helps improve our posture and balance as we age. (talk about walking advertisement) I laughed so hard and was so pleased that this was so helpful to her. Debbie also shared that she is unable to use her upper body at this time so she has had to rely on her legs. She also commented that her legs were so strong and had been a huge help to hold her up, help her get up from her seated position and laying down and she realized her legs were not fatigued. Again, I laughed and enjoyed her excitement as she shared her news
Little Ber is home!!!! Again, prayers answered In my last blog I had shared that Ber, who is 6 years old with neuroblastoma (a rare children’s cancer) had underwent surgery last week to remove a piece of his ribcage. He has been fighting this horrible cancer since November of 2007. The following morning after surgery the doctors believed he had suffered a stroke. Everyone was devastated. Well, as time passed, he slowly regained feeling in his legs and his vision returned to normal. The doctors believe he suffered a seizure. This was music to everyone I saw Amber last night and we embraced and I could feel her huge relief Let me tell you, Amber and Steve, (Ber’s parents) are the most incredible couple who have worked hard for this fight for not just Ber but for other children. I urge you to read their blog at caringbridge.com.
It was a very busy Monday for me. I began training my first group at 6am. The first group of the morning are three of my new clients who are just learning the basics of posture and alignment and core stability. I have to tell you, this always amazes people when they learn about why their body does what it does. For example, I walk like a duck. My feet turn out. I have walked this way my entire life. This quickly, would tell a trainer that focuses on muscle movements patterns, that I am a naturally strong in the external muscles of my legs and buttocks but may be weak on the insides of my legs. One of my clients this morning has a head that extends forward of her body. This means when she is on her back and lays her head down on a flat surface her chin may point to the ceiling or her head may roll way back. Her chest also rises and she feels very uncomfortable. Therefore, when attempting to do abdominal work or just lying on the floor to watch TV, she will need to put a rolled up towels or cushion under her head so her head would be in flattened position and aligned in a straight line with her spine. This position change with the cushion or towel will immediately take discomfort or pressure off her neck and shoulders. You see, simple posture alignment changes make huge differences in our daily lives.
I hope you have a wonderful evening and enjoy watching the Olympics!! MaryAnne
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Little Ber (Bear)
Today was a rather solid day at work. All my clients were able attend their group sessions and everyone was in jovial moods. My day began with my Golden Girls. Three amazing woman who are 60 years young, who come to train with me every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 6:30am. (yes, I did say 6:30m). When we began our early sessions together I focused on balance, stability and teaching each one about their individual posture and alignment. You see, as we age, one of the life changes that affects our daily lives is our lack of stability and balance. Therefore, I focused on techniques that encouraged walking without looking at the floor, walking downstairs without looking at the steps, learning to balance on one foot while using your stomach muscles to control your center of gravity and holding weights at the same time. My Golden girls also learned how to control their balance while standing on unstable surfaces and walking over barriers that could move. These early sessions were real eye openers for the three Golden girls. Mary loves to share her story that she can now run up and down the stairs, carrying objects in her hands without ever feeling like she is going to fall and that she has so much more energy. Carolyn in particular has to work twice as hard because she suffers from neuropathy that affects the feeling in her feet. Carolyn doesn’t have the ability to point and flex her feet anymore, which makes these task very difficult. I will tell you though, her competitive nature and her drive to not let this get the best of her, doesn’t stop her from doing what Anne and Mary are doing. She is a true fighter and I respect her ability to never give up tremendously. Anne first noticed her changes while working in her garden. She had shared she didn’t get as tired and her legs didn’t hurt with all the standing and kneeling. Anne is also the cheerleader and the one who makes sure everyones Birthday is a big deal!!!
Well, as my day went on and I worked with my other wonderful groups, I kept thinking about Debbie and her surgery. My other clients who had heard me share Debbie’s fight asked throughout the day if I had heard anything. I finally received an e-mail around 3pm that her surgery went well and they hoped she would be home from the hospital by the weekend. I was relieved and will keep praying for what is to come for her in the near future.
I work for an amazing company that truly believes in changing the lives of others. I feel fortunate to work for such a giving and loving company that gives to the community and truly loves its members. I am proud to be affiliated with such a wonderful group of people every day. For years, I worked in Group Exercise as the Director and was lucky to have on my team a friend and confident named Amber van der Meer. Amber has a son, who is now 5 years old, who has been fighting for his life with a rare form of children’s cancer called neuroblastoma. He was diagnosed in 2007. Sadly, I have already had a close friend Beth, lose her son, John to this horrible cancer several years prior to Ber (bear). ACAC, the company I work for, for the past two years, has orchestrated what we call “Ber’s bowl”. We run non-stop group exercise classes for a weekend (super bowl weekend) to raise money to help with Ber and other children in the area who have this cancer. Well this year Ber’s bowl had to be cancelled and rescheduled due to the snow. Sadly, since the cancellation, Ber received news that he had a new tumor that needed to be removed. Little Ber underwent surgery yesterday and today we found out that he had a stroke. So much like my blog yesterday, I once again ask that you open up your heart, (mine is very, very heavy tonight) and pray for Ber’s healing and for a real miracle. (if you want to read more about Ber’s story, you can link onto Caringbridge.com and type in Ber) God bless and good night!
Well, as my day went on and I worked with my other wonderful groups, I kept thinking about Debbie and her surgery. My other clients who had heard me share Debbie’s fight asked throughout the day if I had heard anything. I finally received an e-mail around 3pm that her surgery went well and they hoped she would be home from the hospital by the weekend. I was relieved and will keep praying for what is to come for her in the near future.
I work for an amazing company that truly believes in changing the lives of others. I feel fortunate to work for such a giving and loving company that gives to the community and truly loves its members. I am proud to be affiliated with such a wonderful group of people every day. For years, I worked in Group Exercise as the Director and was lucky to have on my team a friend and confident named Amber van der Meer. Amber has a son, who is now 5 years old, who has been fighting for his life with a rare form of children’s cancer called neuroblastoma. He was diagnosed in 2007. Sadly, I have already had a close friend Beth, lose her son, John to this horrible cancer several years prior to Ber (bear). ACAC, the company I work for, for the past two years, has orchestrated what we call “Ber’s bowl”. We run non-stop group exercise classes for a weekend (super bowl weekend) to raise money to help with Ber and other children in the area who have this cancer. Well this year Ber’s bowl had to be cancelled and rescheduled due to the snow. Sadly, since the cancellation, Ber received news that he had a new tumor that needed to be removed. Little Ber underwent surgery yesterday and today we found out that he had a stroke. So much like my blog yesterday, I once again ask that you open up your heart, (mine is very, very heavy tonight) and pray for Ber’s healing and for a real miracle. (if you want to read more about Ber’s story, you can link onto Caringbridge.com and type in Ber) God bless and good night!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Power of prayer....
Today was a crazy day! Up until now, (it’s 8:32pm) I haven’t sat down and I need toothpicks to hold my eyes open. I just had to blog tonight because I feel I have an important client that needs our prayers and I am a huge believer in the power of prayer.
I would love to tell you about one of my small groups that meets on Monday and Wednesdays at 8:30am. This group of woman are a hoot and I have grown to love each one very much. This group has been with me for almost two years now and they are four very special woman. Each one has a totally different personality and until forming this group they didn’t even know each other. I have watched them week after week get to know each other, support and pick on each other and over time grow to truly care for each other. To help you feel a personal touch with them, their names are Debbie, Raquel, Vicki and Sharon. Sharon is a stay home Mother who is my quiet one who never wants to complain or make any waves. Sharon is soft- spoken and sweet as pie. Vicki is my extremely driven client who has to work through adversity. Vicki has worked very, very hard to overcome a horrible car accident from years ago that disfigured her foot. In the past year she underwent surgery to completely rebuild her foot and has worked her butt off to be able to walk and she is now jogging. Raquel is my client who began running marathons and began cross-training without any idea that her small group training would knock off 30 minutes of her marathon time. Truly amazing!! When I met Raquel she had trouble with balance and now she does plyometrics on a Bosu! Debbie is my cheerleader!! She began training with me one on one about 2 years ago and with the recession she began doing small group training. Debbie will walk through fire to make sure she can keep training with the group. She gets more people to join the gym so she can receive ACAC’s $100 gift card for referring a new member which she uses for small group training.
I have really enjoyed watching each and every one of them overcome their individual obstacles. About a month or so ago Debbie shared with us that she had found a lump in her breast. Debbie’s usual “happy go lucky” spirit wavered for a few weeks but later she shared in a happy e-mail that her results had come back and that she was A-OKAY. Well, last Tuesday, I received an e-mail from Debbie that she had bad news to share with me and it was easier to tell me over e-mail. Debbie was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. Ironically, the breast that had the original lump was OK, but she had cancer in her other breast. I was shocked.
With a heavy heart, I shared the news with the group. Everyone was stunned and very worried about Debbie. She is the kindest and sweetest person. We just could not believe the news. Debbie herself said “I don’t feel sick and I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in”. She shared she thought she was the healthiest she had ever been. Funny thing, Debbie is Italian, and she shares stories about her family and their cooking. (I’m always jealous because Betty Crocker doesn’t live in my house). Debbie has worked hard at changing her diet and her food proportions and she lost weight. She truly is an absolutely beautiful woman.
Debbie is undergoing surgery tomorrow and I am hoping that everyone who reads my blog will pass this along so others can pray for her and pray Debbie’s body can begin the fight to overcome and heal. When an individual goes through a traumatic experience, knowing that you are not forgotten is so important. I want Debbie to know that she has much love and support from many. We will be thinking about you. God bless
I would love to tell you about one of my small groups that meets on Monday and Wednesdays at 8:30am. This group of woman are a hoot and I have grown to love each one very much. This group has been with me for almost two years now and they are four very special woman. Each one has a totally different personality and until forming this group they didn’t even know each other. I have watched them week after week get to know each other, support and pick on each other and over time grow to truly care for each other. To help you feel a personal touch with them, their names are Debbie, Raquel, Vicki and Sharon. Sharon is a stay home Mother who is my quiet one who never wants to complain or make any waves. Sharon is soft- spoken and sweet as pie. Vicki is my extremely driven client who has to work through adversity. Vicki has worked very, very hard to overcome a horrible car accident from years ago that disfigured her foot. In the past year she underwent surgery to completely rebuild her foot and has worked her butt off to be able to walk and she is now jogging. Raquel is my client who began running marathons and began cross-training without any idea that her small group training would knock off 30 minutes of her marathon time. Truly amazing!! When I met Raquel she had trouble with balance and now she does plyometrics on a Bosu! Debbie is my cheerleader!! She began training with me one on one about 2 years ago and with the recession she began doing small group training. Debbie will walk through fire to make sure she can keep training with the group. She gets more people to join the gym so she can receive ACAC’s $100 gift card for referring a new member which she uses for small group training.
I have really enjoyed watching each and every one of them overcome their individual obstacles. About a month or so ago Debbie shared with us that she had found a lump in her breast. Debbie’s usual “happy go lucky” spirit wavered for a few weeks but later she shared in a happy e-mail that her results had come back and that she was A-OKAY. Well, last Tuesday, I received an e-mail from Debbie that she had bad news to share with me and it was easier to tell me over e-mail. Debbie was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. Ironically, the breast that had the original lump was OK, but she had cancer in her other breast. I was shocked.
With a heavy heart, I shared the news with the group. Everyone was stunned and very worried about Debbie. She is the kindest and sweetest person. We just could not believe the news. Debbie herself said “I don’t feel sick and I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in”. She shared she thought she was the healthiest she had ever been. Funny thing, Debbie is Italian, and she shares stories about her family and their cooking. (I’m always jealous because Betty Crocker doesn’t live in my house). Debbie has worked hard at changing her diet and her food proportions and she lost weight. She truly is an absolutely beautiful woman.
Debbie is undergoing surgery tomorrow and I am hoping that everyone who reads my blog will pass this along so others can pray for her and pray Debbie’s body can begin the fight to overcome and heal. When an individual goes through a traumatic experience, knowing that you are not forgotten is so important. I want Debbie to know that she has much love and support from many. We will be thinking about you. God bless
Monday, February 15, 2010
No more snow....
Yeah!! Richmond, Virginia received rain today instead of expected snow. The school age children actually went to school for a half day. This may seem insignificant to some, but for us, this has been a very stressful and long beginning to 2010. If you are one that follows the weather, (which generally I am not) you may have read or heard about all the snow that was dumped on Virginia in January and February. I have lived in Richmond my entire life and can say I have never experienced a winter like this one. I think I have forgotten what grass looks like.
As I mentioned in my first blog, I am a personal trainer and I work with many groups of diverse people. I train and motivate retirees; stay at home moms, moms that work, doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, writers, designers, artists and school teachers. Literally, my client base is just about anybody that desires to enhance and change their life habits to stay healthy and improve their overall daily life. My clients are unique and have their own special stories. But with this storm this winter, one constant was prevalent. Chaos and stress due to the unexpected. The weather affected everyone.
Obviously, this crazy winter has brought out the best in everybody. NOT!!! The phone calls, the e-mails, the crazy voice messages my clients have left me have been a riot and I feel for each and every one of them. I might as well have hit the “re-wind” button a hundred times. Interesting enough, over the past few weeks, I received many e-mails that had a recurring theme. They missed their workout partners, they missed the gym and “thankfully” they missed me. They even shared they didn’t realize how much better they handled stress and their families when they continued their routine of workouts until the workouts and workout buddies were taken away by the weather. This was music to my ears!!!
One of my goals for 2010 is to introduce myself to the world. I would love to reach as many people as I can that would never enter a gym or health center and help motivate and teach them to make changes in their life that can affect their health and their daily life. For example, one of my clients, a working mother who travels at times during the week, shared a great story with her early morning group. She came into the session, which I might add, was at 6:30am, and she was so excited, she shared…”I know not everyone would appreciate what I am about to tell you, but recently I haven’t missed any of my flights when I am traveling. Before I started small group training with you all, I had a hard time carrying my bags and getting from one gate to the other in the airport and frequently missed my flights.” This was a very big deal. Her leg strength and her stamina had improved in a short period of time by coming twice a week to small group training that her quality of life while traveling had improved.
Our bodies are made to move. Movement improves blood flow, strength, endurance, blood pressure, diabetes, blood sugar and cholesterol. Obviously these are some of the internal benefits of exercise and are hard for one to measure if they are not monitored by a doctor. Yet when you go for a check-up these results will speak volumes as to how you have enhanced your life and maybe even saved it.
I hope you will pass along my blog address to someone that you care about that may find guidance and motivation from reading the blogs to come.
As I mentioned in my first blog, I am a personal trainer and I work with many groups of diverse people. I train and motivate retirees; stay at home moms, moms that work, doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, writers, designers, artists and school teachers. Literally, my client base is just about anybody that desires to enhance and change their life habits to stay healthy and improve their overall daily life. My clients are unique and have their own special stories. But with this storm this winter, one constant was prevalent. Chaos and stress due to the unexpected. The weather affected everyone.
Obviously, this crazy winter has brought out the best in everybody. NOT!!! The phone calls, the e-mails, the crazy voice messages my clients have left me have been a riot and I feel for each and every one of them. I might as well have hit the “re-wind” button a hundred times. Interesting enough, over the past few weeks, I received many e-mails that had a recurring theme. They missed their workout partners, they missed the gym and “thankfully” they missed me. They even shared they didn’t realize how much better they handled stress and their families when they continued their routine of workouts until the workouts and workout buddies were taken away by the weather. This was music to my ears!!!
One of my goals for 2010 is to introduce myself to the world. I would love to reach as many people as I can that would never enter a gym or health center and help motivate and teach them to make changes in their life that can affect their health and their daily life. For example, one of my clients, a working mother who travels at times during the week, shared a great story with her early morning group. She came into the session, which I might add, was at 6:30am, and she was so excited, she shared…”I know not everyone would appreciate what I am about to tell you, but recently I haven’t missed any of my flights when I am traveling. Before I started small group training with you all, I had a hard time carrying my bags and getting from one gate to the other in the airport and frequently missed my flights.” This was a very big deal. Her leg strength and her stamina had improved in a short period of time by coming twice a week to small group training that her quality of life while traveling had improved.
Our bodies are made to move. Movement improves blood flow, strength, endurance, blood pressure, diabetes, blood sugar and cholesterol. Obviously these are some of the internal benefits of exercise and are hard for one to measure if they are not monitored by a doctor. Yet when you go for a check-up these results will speak volumes as to how you have enhanced your life and maybe even saved it.
I hope you will pass along my blog address to someone that you care about that may find guidance and motivation from reading the blogs to come.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
My entire life my mother has told me that I am star crossed. Bad luck or what some may call, unfortunate occurrences or circumstance just seem to follow me. Every New Year I am told “Mary Anne, this is going to be your year“! Truthfully it’s a joke amongst those who are close and dear to me. Despite all the challenges and chaos, I am still the luckiest person alive. My life experiences have given me strength and insight to understanding what others feel when life changes your path . My mother also said I tend to learn all my lessons of life the hard way. Fortunately, with each lesson I grow stronger and wiser. My drive to succeed and make a difference for others has become a passion of mine. I have enjoyed learning I have the ability to motivate many people and teach them how to make changes in their life which has a direct affect on their relationships with their families, friends and handling stressein their life. I am not happy about my hardships, but I am proud that each challenge has given me strength and perseverance to move forward, re-educate myself and make a difference for my children, my family and for others. My challenges keep driving me to become more and more self -sufficient even with the adversity that follows me. I can tell you I wake up in the morning and love life. The gift I receive from those I help is without a doubt intoxicating and beautiful. I am blessed with three beautiful teenagers who are the light of my life, the most wonderful parents who have supported me through thick and thin, and I was lucky to later in life fall in love with an angel named John. So you see, my entire life isn’t under that black cloud that enjoys following me all aroundJ
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