Inspired By My Grandmother

One of the great regrets of my life was that I was not successful in sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm for strength training with my late grandmother.

With my mother, my grandmother raised me so I regarded her as my second mother. Alas, she was born in a time and place where exercise was regarded as unfeminine.

That’s me on the left, with my grandmother.

---

When she broke her hip two years before she died, I tried in vain to persuade her to exercise and become stronger.

Instead, she became increasingly fearful of walking and sedentary. Despite having fought diabetes for decades, the end came quickly and inexorably thereafter. We are designed to move and when she stopped moving, she began dying.

Anyone over 50 should have a proactive fitness plan.

Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her in some way. It was sad to see her joyful spirit extinguished by the inertia of stillness. But mixed with the sadness of these memories are the joys I’ve known in helping countless individuals achieve a level of vitality, independence and buffer from injury that amazed them and me.

Again and again I’ve witnessed the qualitative difference that well designed strength training has achieved in my more life-seasoned clients.

One client came to me with a simple wish: could I help him get sufficiently strong so he could playfully toss his grandchildren in the pool? Another client simply wanted to reach canned goods in her cupboards and carry groceries with a greater measure of confidence.

Still another simply wanted to be strong enough to continue smashing the ball in her tennis matches.

Whether you actively practice a sport or not, anyone over 50 should have a proactive plan for fitness.

My clientele are composed exclusively of such individuals – baby boomers as well as seniors – and I regard the fact that I’ve improved the quality of each of their lives as one of my crowning achievements of my life.

If you have questions about the best fitness programs for baby boomers or for seniors, feel free to book a phone appointment with me, Francisco Villalobos, owner of Inner Strength Fitness in New York City.

I would be delighted to help you find the best way forward for yourself or for a loved one.