Enjoying Retirement

A year ago I retired from a very stressful, very sedentary job.  I had hopes of taking long hikes and spending many happy hours gardening, but my body couldn’t handle it.  I couldn’t manage even gently inclined trails, and it was very awkward and actually painful to perform normal gardening tasks.  My poor balance caused a bad fall and a fractured foot that further limited my activities.  I realized that if I wanted to enjoy my retirement, I needed to get into shape.  That’s when I began working with Chris.  He carefully assessed my limitations, listened to my objectives, and devised a personalized plan.  He clearly knows his stuff and patiently explained how specific exercises would address my specific issues.  He made sure that I never felt embarrassed by my weakness or awkwardness and encouraged me to push harder than I would ever have attempted on my own.

I began to see results after just the first few weeks.  I developed the stamina to hike all day on trails with significant elevation (Mount Hood hike; 6.8 miles, 2000 ft elevation and 5 1/2 hours).  It has now been three months and my overall strength, balance and flexibility have improved significantly.  A week ago I was able to clear weeds from a long neglected garden.  I was on my hands and knees, digging and pulling for 6 hours, something that would have been impossible before Chris.   I plan to continue training with him, and I can’t wait to see how far I can progress.