He has never been an active man. A career economist at the International Monetary Fund, he spent almost 30 years working way too much. When he retired, he didn't have hobbies that involved physical exercise. Chronic back problems, high cholesterol, chronic diverticulitis, and recovering from an aortic valve replacement, my dad is not the picture of health and wellness.
My dad lives with my mom in Roanoke, Va about 2 hours outside of Charlottesville. When he agreed to move in with me (and my family - 2 young boys, ages 9 and 7, my husband, and our dog) I was surprised, but pleased. I knew that training him from a distance wouldn't work. He needed a trainer who would stand by him every day holding him accountable to how long, how far, how heavy, and how fast. He needed someone to help him with his food choices making sure to provide him with healthy choices, and reasonable portion sizes.
The commitment started 3 weeks ago. He arrived on Sunday night for his first appointment at my studio in Belmont. He received the same assessment that all my clients do. We started with a weigh in, and body composition check (using calipers). Next we strapped on the heart rate monitor and went through a cardiovascular assessment test on the treadmill. We measured heart rate at progressive speed intervals (with incline), and recorded it to compare in the future. Lastly, we went through a series of muscular assessment tests measuring his strength in all of his major muscle groups. He was exhausted, and very sore the next day.
That first week he exercised more in one week than he has in many, many years. His hips hurt initially when challenged by the 40 minutes of hill walking we did on Monday, and the weight training exercises, balance work, and agility drills awakened his awareness of his body, and what it was capable of. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that first week were a combination of weight training focusing mostly on cueing proper form and establishing a sense of proprioception and balance, and cardio intervals appropriate for his de-conditioned cardiovascular fitness.
Thursday came that first week, and the moment of truth came. He had lost almost 6 pounds in one week! Amazing. He, and I were elated, and encouraged that this system was going to work. Our goal is to get him down by 30 pounds by the new year. At this point, 3 weeks in, he is down almost 10 pounds, and he is feeling stronger, more agile, and he is walking pain free up big hills without any hip pain!
He leaves every Thursday to go back to my mom in Roanoke to spend the weekend with her before he comes back to train for the week. He leaves with a menu in hand and a homework assignment for exercise. He has followed his homework consistently, and eaten the meals I have planned for him. I am psyched that he is committed and focused.
I hope to post some before and after pictures, as well as some pictures taken from training soon.
