Since becoming a Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist my goal has been to create personalized programs for my clients, geared toward improving their quality of life, their health and wellness and keep them in motion throughout their lifespan.
My background as a Registered Nurse, takes into account the whole being, addressing not just physical fitness but also the fitness of the mind and wellness of the soul as well.
“Where the mind has repeatedly journeyed, the body will surely follow.” -Stephen Worden
My work in personal training is created out of a love and appreciation for movement. I’m sure you have heard the cliche, “You don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone!” I have kind of experienced that in reverse…. Let me explain…
As a little girl I truly despised running and moving quickly- any game that required speed and agility was just not for me. I gravitated to slower, low impact activities- movement was really just the worst.
Why?
My knees hurt after a short time of running or jumping.
No one really knew what to tell me, they’d shrug it off and run away. I was just “no good” at sports. Despite my lack of fast motion, I did remain pretty active…. but those knees!
As I got into my college years, I finally went to a specialist. He refused to even image my knees. I was “too young” for any type of issue he said. “Take an anti-inflammatory, get some more exercise and ice afterwards. You’ll be fine.” he continued.
That was not what I had been hoping to hear. Maybe I was oversensitive. Oh well.
I graduated from college, got my first job as a Registered Nurse on a busy telemetry unit in a large teaching hospital in the NYC metro area. I got married, a few years later had my first baby, then my second…. then number three (oh, and bonus! it was twins!!!!)
Still… those knees…. worse, worse, and worse….
The final straw- at a party, I met another mom, also carrying twins, as we chatted about all things twin pregnancy related, she squatted down to the coffee table below us to retrieve a snack…. Whoa!!!! Her baby-filled belly was even larger than mine (she was further along than I was) and she got up and down like she was an American Ninja Warrior! There was no WAY I could do that with my knees!
Once the babies were born, and life was humming along at a relatively normal-insane pace, I found another orthopedist. He listened, imaged, and found that indeed, my knees were a disaster. For a number of years we played with all types of treatments to prolong the inevitable… total knee replacements.
The year I turned 40, I was given one of the best gifts ever… a pair of titanium and polyethylene prosthetic knees! The surgery was difficult and painful to recover from, but the results were truly life altering.
Since recovering from my total knee replacements (TKR’s), I have re-discovered exercise and movement again. It does NOT have to hurt.
Exercise and movement does not need to be high impact and harmful to your joints to be effective in changing your body composition and changing how you feel.
Exercise and movement absolutely must be, a part of your life to keep you fit both physically and mentally.
Newton’s law of physics… “A body in motion STAYS in motion.”
I had no idea how impactful motion would be on my life, until I could move without pain. It has made such an incredible change for me, I decide to make it my livelihood.
I’ve tied my nursing background in with my life experience with joint replacement, and looped that with a certification in personal training and a specialization in corrective exercise. I am focusing this work to help others like me- who may be struggling to regain motion after a difficult surgery or other life-altering situation. Or those who battle with everyday pain from a chronic illness or condition such as arthritis or need to remain in motion to prevent further deterioration from a degenerative illness such as multiple sclerosis.
I also focusing on working with folks who are looking to make serious changes in their lives… a side effect of moving again, I started to lose weight!
Seeing those changes made me want to eat better, and that brought about even more changes. After many long months of hard work, determination and consistency- I had lost 50 pounds!
You too CAN make lasting changes.
I can teach you how.
Physical activity is the most underutilized antidepressant out there, and in my observations, it seems we have a society that is more depressed than ever.
Focusing on movement to better the body and mind, and enrich the soul that’s what my training philosophy is about.
I challenge you to reach out, schedule a no strings attached demo session with me… Let’s map out your personalized plan to your best self.
Ready? START NOW.
-Laurie (LaurieT@FullTimeFit.com)
