The Wellness Center's Blog

Gaining Motivation from Personal Training

By: Dexter Wellness Center Staff

July 3, 2023, 10:00 am - Categories: News

Personal Training Gives 77-Year-Old Member Motivation and Independence

Steven A. is a 77-year-old member diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. Although his leg muscles are strong, he has limited feeling in them and needs a rollator (walker) for balance. His three 60-minute personal training sessions a week at the Dexter Wellness Center maintain his muscular strength.

“A personal trainer is far more than simply a convenience. I live alone and have no internal motivation to leave home. However, knowing that someone is waiting for me at the Wellness Center gets me there,” says Steven.

Despite the specter of sarcopenia (muscle loss through aging), over the last two years, Steven has increased his bicep/triceps circumference by one inch and is still slowly improving on each machine.

“My trainer also encourages me, watches my form and range of motion, and keeps track of my progress. If you ask Google what is the best treatment for sarcopenia? It answers: ‘The primary treatment for sarcopenia is exercise, specifically resistance training or strength training. These activities increase muscle strength and endurance using weights or resistance bands. Resistance training can help your neuromuscular system, hormones.’ Apart from my lap around the track, weekly chair yoga, and an occasional massage, I use only my trainer and the weight machines at the Wellness Center.”

For Steven, it is the breadth of programs and spaces (cardiovascular and weight machines, swimming pools, basketball court, spinning, massage, yoga, Zumba^®, etc.) that make the Dexter Wellness Center a valuable addition to our community. Many years ago, Steven and his late wife participated in Zumba^® classes twice a week, the first and only exercise she ever had in her life.

“Consistent and regular practice is a necessity for maintaining fitness. Last year I had surgery that prevented me from training for six weeks. It took several months for me to regain my previous levels. There are always a thousand reasons not to work out. The Dexter Wellness Center gives me the motivation to have a regular practice. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the Center is clean and well-maintained. It is a pleasant place to be.”