HEALTH & WELLNESS
Success Story How one woman overcame her dislike of technology to start training online By: Lisa Wright
“I am open to new things – I am not an old fogey,” Helen says, emphatically resisting the myth that people “of a certain age” are afraid of digital communications or anything related to new ways of learning. “I just don’t like the phone, and I don’t have a computer. I have lots of stuff to do. I take care of my animals. I work in the garden…” Shortly after gyms and fitness studios had to close amid the coronavirus crisis, Helen’s coach called to ask how he could help her make the online transition.
is a win-win solution – same coach, same group, new and creative exercises using minimal equipment and more! Now? Helen is grateful and excited. “I do like what we’re doing right now with the live classes,” she says. “It’s crucial. I would not exercise at all if it’s just me by myself. We have a great group of people ... We play music, and still whine if it’s hard.” She also gets in a safe and effective workout that’s good for her physically, mentally and socially, says Helen, who is retired and lives alone. Via the computer, Helen’s coach can see her and everyone else in the group training session. He tailors the workouts for each of them. Helen, for example, can’t do some floor exercises because of a chronic back issue, so J.C. gives her other movements to perform.
She resisted. He persisted. “She was adamant that she could not go online, and this was too much to ask,” says her coach, J.C. “I prodded her several times that I could help her.” Finally, Helen submitted to his coaching – which took a couple of calls and tried both their patience. “We just said we’ll keep pecking away at this until we get it done,” Helen recalls. Eventually, Helen learned how to use her smart phone to participate in workouts via Zoom, a simple video conferencing tool that many fitness businesses are using. Streaming workouts into clients’ homes
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Helen even enjoys gathering everyday household items (cans of vegetables, a bleach bottle, even toilet paper) for workout props. “It makes it more fun,” she says. “I like improvising. It excites my brain.” The bottom line for Helen? She knows how important exercise is, and she’s committed to staying healthy and fit, regardless of the challenges. “It’s what I need to do for my body – it’s for me. It’s my job,” Helen says. “It’s more important now to be active, take care of myself and de-stress. An exercise session helps me with this.” Coach J.C. is proud of Helen’s achievement. “She got pumped up to do something that she never thought she’d be able to tackle,” he says.
“I like improvising. It excites my brain.” Helen’s advice to anyone else reluctant to take the time to learn how to train online? “Just buckle up and do it,” Helen says. “If somebody like me can do it, anybody can.” At Your Personal Best, this global disruption became an opportunity to “give back” to our community and build relationships. It is easy once you get the hang of it, and my team will go the extra mile to get you what you need, answer questions, etc. Whether or not we are back in our studio when you read this, we will continue to stream our workouts live two to three times per day, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, adjusting to the demand. Try it yourself! Get 14 days of unlimited live, virtual group training classes you can do from anywhere!
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LISA WRIGHT
Helen Harris, 74, has no computer, and she hates her smart phone, using it as little as possible. But she refuses to let her dislike of technology prevent her from staying in shape via online training sessions.
