Going to college for the first time at age 40 was a realization that “you’re never too old to start.”  Those words rang true again as I began working with Fitness Together in July 2009.

In my younger days, I lived within walking distance to most places and stayed trim.  However, with moving to the suburbs, the car became a necessary evil and my lifestyle became much more sedentary.  Work and run errands -- drive here, drive there, arrive home too tired for anything else.  Trying to exercise at home didn’t work; too easy to procrastinate.  Driving to a gym was also easy to dismiss; “too tired tonight” and feeling as if all eyes were on me as I tried to understand and use equipment properly.  As the years progressed, so did my weight.   I ate lots of unhealthy foods telling myself, “tomorrow I’ll change.”  When those size 18 clothes were getting tight, the alarms began sounding – I didn’t want to gain more weight!

I discovered Sherry’s flier on my door one afternoon; it looked intriguing.  After all, it was close to home, they only did personal training, and the website looked as if those promises of losing weight and feeling better would be kept.  I called to schedule my free session and remember coming home exhausted, but feeling like I could do this.

After three months, I had lost approx. 10 pounds, my resting heart rate was much lower, my blood pressure was lower, I had more energy and I was wearing pants a size smaller.  I had more strength and more endurance, which was a blessing when we vacationed in Maine during October and I was able to do a 4-mile round-trip hike while carrying my backpack.  A year earlier, my body would not have been able to accomplish this.

The strength training, cardio workouts, and change of eating habits – never say ‘diet,’ the first three letters are ‘die’ – have given me a more positive outlook on my life and life in general.  It’s amazing to see how far I’ve come in the short time I’ve been attending Fitness Together.  The trainers are all first-rate.  They are encouraging and demand your best.  When I feel like my muscles are completely spent, I love to tell Cedric, my trainer, “you know, it’s all good, and I love you!”

The story isn’t over yet…it’s still a work in progress, and the work goes on.  Seeing tangible results and hearing the compliments from friends and co-workers make Fitness Together the right “fit” for me!