A Growing Problem

Inactivity and excess weight among older people is a growing problem in North America, Europe and the entire developed world.

Now, amid the COVID 19 crisis, it can complicate health even more for the millions of people who are overweight.

But one woman in Mount Joy – shows how the pandemic might make us take a temporary detour, but it doesn’t have to wreck us.

Eddie first began training at the tender age of 76. She was having trouble getting up without using her hands and particularly disliked this due to the germs she was exposed to when using a public restroom. Arthritis was taking its toll and she was becoming more stiff, achy and less mobile.  The more she hurt the less she was able to do. Unfortunately, the less she moved the worse she felt. And falling – and getting back up- had become a major worry.

Still, she chalked these troubles up to ‘expected at her age’ and considered herself ‘pretty good for 76’.

At the time, some of her friends were attending ‘curves’ a circuit training program for women, but she wanted a personalized approach. She needed someone to work closely with her to help her learn how to exercise safely and keep her motivated.

Only when she began with 2BFit did she realized how much strength and ability she had actually lost, and how much she stood to gain from personal training.

She has been training with 2BFit for more than 9 years now. Over that time she has improved her strength and mobility immensely, She takes pride in her ability to lift and carry big bags of cat food and move her outdoor furniture around when it suits her without having to wait for someone else to do it for her.

Like everyone, she was hoping the quarantine would be short-lived and she could return within a few weeks. But after several weeks of just watching things get steadily worse  she came to the conclusion she needed to get back into her exercise program so she hesitantly agreed to try online training.

Now she’s back to work meeting weekly via Skype. And says “This is going so much better than I thought it would” “I Guess You CAN Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!” She picked up where she left off and is happy to be making progress again, even from the comfort and safety of her own home.

The US National Institutes of Health says people over 65 should be as active as possible. The goal is at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each week, plus at least two sessions of strength training.

Good examples of movement include walking, running, gardening, dancing or joining a gym or fitness studio.

‘We Have to Keep Moving’

Eddie’s story is inspiring. And her reaction to the COVID 19 crisis shows a personal approach that is evolving – as it is for people all around the world. Some are ready to get back to the gym, work, and get back to normal.” Others will be more cautious, still staying home as much as possible. Most are in the middle, of course.

People are trying to deal with everything that’s happening today — and I’m not talking about just fitness, the loneliness, and isolation can be seriously detrimental to one’s mental health. And there are still so many unknowns. The one thing we can control is ourselves. Take care of yourself. Keep your body and mind as healthy as possible so you can deal with the stress of the world we’re living in today.

We have to keep on living. We have to keep moving.