Beth - Grandmother and Sled Puller
The March Athlete of the Month is Beth Goldstein! Beth has a great attitude and always gives everything she’s got in every workout. We love when Beth shares the fun adventures with her grandchildren. StrongerLife has improved her strength and endurance to spend quality time with the little ones.
What’s one thing you are now able to do that you didn’t think was possible before StrongerLife? I'd never used barbells before SL and figured that possibility was long gone. Wrong! All sorts of activities are easier than they were six months ago - pulling sleds loaded with kids back up snowy hills, lugging buckets of water to clean the fish tank, walking trails on uneven terrain. But I still haven't won a game of Duck, Duck, Goose against the under-7 crowd.
What would you tell others that are considering joining StrongerLife? SL combines the attentiveness of a personal coach with the knowledge of a physical therapist and the social support of a group of people who know we can be stronger, healthier, and happier by working out together.
What challenges were you facing when you started working with us? I have arthritis in my feet, shoulders, and hands. Certain ways of moving are very painful and some joints have hardly any range of motion remaining. I'd been losing confidence in my ability to maintain balance, grip strength, and lift heavier objects - like my grandsons or bags of garden soil. I was feeling discouraged about even trying to get stronger and able-bodied again. Now feeling so much more positive!
Why did you choose StrongerLife as opposed to a competitor? I first came to Stronger Life because I was looking for a fitness program that would help me regain strength that I had lost over time but that was also designed with the flexibility to adapt for a range of motion challenges that arise for people over 55. I also wanted a program that uses free weights and the body itself rather than relying on specialized exercise machines - more like the ways we move in daily living. I wanted to become healthier in ways that I could sustain.
What did you notice about us that was different from similar businesses you've worked within the past? I love that SL is about community and support, not about competition. The people who participate are wonderful with one another. We all work hard at the exercise but with lots of good humor, care, and compassion that go beyond the workouts themselves. The coaches at Stronger Life are amazing. Having physical therapists who understand body mechanics, healing and holistic wellness in relation to working out is a huge benefit. They respect each person in the room and create an atmosphere of mutual encouragement for all. They recognize that we are each physically unique and yet capable of moving with more strength, confidence, stamina, and balance. They pay attention to each person, noticing when we need assistance, encouragement, adaptation, challenge. And they are able to demonstrate the workout components, step-by-step and with adaptations for the diversity of physicalities among us. Each day is a different set of workout components. There's enough repetition so that we learn to do the movements well, with good technique. There's progressive logic to how the workouts fit together over a series of days and weeks. There's enough variation so that the workouts don't become routine and so that everyone finds moments for personal bests. I like that the space SL uses is airy and simple/basic - very much about the people.
What's your favorite song or band to listen to while you work out? Motown!
StrongerLife hosts the best group fitness classes in Lexington, KY for seniors. We focus on improving people’s Physical, Mental, & Social health. Science-based programs led by professional coaches.
