Sue’s Personal Training Journey…so far

Sue’s Personal Training Journey…so far

Sue’s Personal Training Journey…so far OptiMum Health

Personal training should do what it says on the tin.  It should be personal to You.

Here’s the story of Sue’s personal training journey so far….

 

I (Lisa) am immeasurably proud of this lady.

What a difference a year makes….

Sue started working with me last January. Initially she
wanted to try Pilates as a means of dealing with, and
managing her ongoing back pain.

That’s where we started.

Stretching

 

We used Pilates to reconnect Sue with her body, to
build strength and stability through her torso and
start to increase strength elsewhere in her body….and
mind.

Now, we’re pushing the boundaries a bit.

Her current phase of training is based on increasing
her work capacity – to help with the endurance element
of her hobby – cycling.

Did I mention that she completed the Lincoln Petit
Grand Prix in September last year too?….all 54 miles
of it!

We’ve notched up a few other milestones along the way.

 

Not least that she has been able to participate in
landscaping her garden (which looks amazing by the
way), moving laden wheelbarrows, sleepers, digging and
shovelling – all without provoking the old back pain.

Her strength has increased measurably too and pulling
and pushing over 120kg (more than 1 ½ times her own
bodyweight) up and down the gym is part of a usual
session.

Sue pushing the prowler

The biggest ‘gain’ though from my perspective is Sue’s
change in confidence.

 

Understandably, the thought of lifting or moving a
heavy weight would lead to a clouded expression – her
fear of triggering that recurring back ache was
palpable.

Now though, Sue knows how to move more efficiently, how to use the stronger muscles in her body and how to move heavy loads without ‘upsetting her back’.

Sue pulling ropes

It hasn’t been plain sailing by any means.

We’ve also dealt with stiffness through her mid-spine
(thoracic) and shoulder/neck discomfort.

By phasing her training, working around her cycle and
work pressures we can clearly identify when to push
hard, when to taper effort down and when to focus
completely on remedial work.

It’s a partnership.

Sue keeps up her end of the bargain too – doing her
homework!

Working on flexibility and mobility as well as her home
workouts. Those home workouts have to be flexible and
portable – so that Sue can still do them when
travelling away with work.

So whether she’s in the comfort of her own home, or in
a hotel elsewhere round the world there is something
she can do WITHIN HER BUSY SCHEDULE.

How does Sue feel?

 

My Personal Training sessions with Lisa have become my investment in my physical future.

I’m of that generation who, if you weren’t interested
in sport at school, didn’t really take any physical
activity into adult years.

Add to that over twenty years of a desk job meant my
posture was, quite frankly, awful and I had back pain
on a frequent basis. I had to do something!

Sue's deadlift

 

Lisa is totally correct about my confidence, I now
approach any physical activity with significantly more
enthusiasm than in the past and I really enjoy my gym
sessions and look forward with excitement wondering
what Lisa has in store for me each week.

What I have pushed, pulled or lifted now becomes a
regular topic of conversation with friends and
colleagues. I am happy to do my homework, not that it
always gets done, but Lisa always sets an appropriate
routine to fit in with my schedule.

On starting the second phase of our sessions I gave
Lisa my expectations and wants – I wanted to become
stronger and more flexible. This is exactly what I have
become and feel so much better for it.

As regards the cycling, it’s about the only sport that
I’ve always enjoyed but I wanted to keep up with my
other half who had taken it up a couple of years before
at my encouragement.

My initial target was to cycle from home to Woodhall
Spa and back (about 30 miles) by the end of summer
2015. The problem was that I achieved that before July
so needed a new target – the Petit Grand Prix in
September.

With Lisa’s help, direction and encouragement I made it
round the entire 54 mile course. There is no way that I
would have been able to do that without the work we
have done.

We have also been looking at my diet and making some
changes to ensure I include more essential oils and
fats which are so important for maintaining health and
also ensuring I have the right fuel on board for
everything I want to do.

Thanks Lisa for working with me to help me find and
achieve those goals.

I’m looking forward to what this next year brings!”

If you’d like to know more, check out our information
on Personal Training and also Semi-Private Training.

Alternatively, drop Lisa a line to talk through your specific requirements.