Lights, Camera, Action!

A week ago today, I finally took a big step in a project that has been about four years in the making: filming some exercise videos.

The work that I do with older adults is not just a job, but also an important to service. Exercising at every age is one of the key factors to maintaining good health and fitness. As we age, however, it becomes all the more important; it can be the difference between independence and having to rely on others. Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in the day and–even with three other trainers helping me out–there is no way that I can meet all the demand. It is fairly often that I have a waiting list; some clients live outside of our service area and At Home Senior Fitness cannot meet their needs either.

This was part of the reason behind my wanting to explore creating digital content. I took a CEC course a few years ago on this topic. The instructor, Sadie Nardini, is a successful online fitness instructor and she laid out in detail how to transfer in-person skills into videos that can reach a wider audience. I foolishly thought that I could embark on this initiative on my own, but it became slowly apparent to me that I did not have the technical skills to make this all happen. Several months ago, I contacted a local company that films and edits videos–mostly for companies that are bigger than AHSF–but since they are just a few miles away they were very easy to work with. The cost was less than I expected as well.

Last Wednesday we filmed a couple of short intro videos as well as four workouts. The service is paid by the hour, so we tried to be as efficient as possible. I filmed all four workouts one after the other. Needless to say, by the end I was wiped out and my muscles ached. I received my “first draft” of the first video and so far it looks great. My hope is to have most of the material in a few weeks and then have professional assistance in getting it out on the web. My social media person will also be of help in getting these workouts out there. I look forward to being able to reach more older adults with exercises that are accessible and can make a difference.

I will keep you posted on the progress. In the meantime, be on the lookout for “Senior Strength for Better Walking,” starring….Me!

Differentiating My Brand

While attending the IDEA / ACSM Health and Fitness Summit, I availed myself a class taught by Billy Polson about differentiating one’s brand. That is just fancy for what makes my business stand out from the rest.

In the fitness world there are lots of big box gyms, community centers, and garage-style fitness centers. When I came up with the idea for At Home Senior Fitness, I knew that it would stand apart from all of those because of two main components. Our training would be limited to older adults (55+)–also meaning that all the trainers working with me would have training, experience, and/or specialization in that area. The other distinguishing factor would be the “at home” aspect; I do not own a brick and mortar gym, but rather provide services to my clients on Zoom or in their own homes (or in a fitness center located where they live).

These two factors differentiate me from any other business in Northeast Ohio and, as I have found out, from most other fitness firms in the USA. Many cater to older adults and many do at home training; very few do both. Even though I have my niche and have stuck to that core mission, there are still ways that I can further set my company apart from the rest. This was part of Polson’s challenge to each of us–no matter how unique our business model, we have to continue to differentiate.

What can I do to make At Home Senior Fitness excel even more? I have long talked about filming videos that demonstrate how to do various exercises safely; I have even toyed with putting together entire workouts and courses in video format. I do have regular communication with my clients, as well as someone who does social media for me, but I can probably improve on this as well. Perhaps I could also provide clients with better direction about what they should be doing on the days when they are not working with me. There are lots of ways that I can better the work that I am doing…but that all takes time.

This is why it is important for me to schedule in time (which I now do) to work on the business instead of just in the business. Once a week, I will spend one hour working on these projects. Of course, the goal is to expand my business from a financial standpoint, but more essentially the aim is to be able to reach more older adults who can benefit from physical activity and exercise.

The challenge has been put forth by Polson, and now I will do my best to rise to the challenge.

Doing Senior Expos

This past Thursday, I was an exhibitor at the Beachwood (OH) Senior Expo. The location was great–literally kitty-corner to where I live. It was the second Senior Expo I have participated in during 2024.

The expos generally have a room or two with vendors aimed at older adults. These include insurance companies, health care providers, senior living facilities, end-of-life organizations, home healthcare, and wellness companies. I was the only vendor providing fitness services at this expo.

I found a couple of interesting trends at this expo (some of which were shared with the one earlier in the year). First (it was on Halloween day) and that meant that most of the vendors had bowls of candy out; for some of the attendees, this was the big draw. I do have to question whether all that sugar is such a good idea for older adults; I did see one table handing out “healthier” treats and another with apples. I served nothing but I did have free pens! Second, more than half of the people with whom I spoke are actually involved in a regular exercise; Silver Sneakers and local community centers with fitness facilities are making a difference. This is a positive trend and it is good to see our government making it easier for residents to exercise. Third, I try not to be judgmental, but many of the folks who told me that they do not exercise at all seemed to be the ones who needed it the most; there was a lot of bad posture and weight management issues. There are also many people who exercise every now and again but do not have a consistent program. Fourth, there are a lot of really excellent, caring folks out there who are devoting their lives to help older adults; the networking group that sponsored the Expo has some fine folks who do the work they do not just for the salary, but because it is very meaningful to them.

In the end, I only got a couple of leads, but it never hurts to be out there getting the message to people who need to hear it. There will be more Expos in the future. There were about 200 attendees on Thursday; hopefully, we can reach even more seniors in the future.

Three Kinds of Movement

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to sponsor a booth at the West Side Boomer Bash in Cleveland. It was an event for local older adults to interact with businesses and organizations that work with their demographic. We had some free giveaways and information, but I was looking for ways to engage in conversation with those passing by our table. I remembered the advice I learned at the 2024 IDEA & ACSM Health & Fitness Summit in Chicago; I blogged afterwards about a new way to look at the work that I do–focusing more on the term “movement” rather than “fitness.” I began by asking, “What are you doing to keep moving?” The answers were varied from “I don’t” to “I walk my dog” to “I go to the local gym several times a week.” It got people talking and gave me the chance to talk about the work that we do at At Home Senior Fitness.

A recent article on CNN.com discussed the idea of “movement” a little more in depth. The article focused on the advice of Melissa Boyd, a personal trainer and expert in the field of health and fitness. She explained that there are three kinds of movement, and that all are necessary for overall health and fitness.

The first is the kind of movement that is required by your body every day. This includes walking (which Boyd says is not really enough), bending, and stretching. Our bodies need these on a regular basis simply to allow us to do the activities of daily living.
Next is athletic movement; this is intentional exercise or movement with the aim of fitness or training for a sport. This should be done several times each week.
Last is social movement; this includes dancing and playing a sport. This is movement that allows us to interact with others and to have fun.

Unfortunately, many older adults focus only on the that first kind of movement–and for some that is a critical issue. Ideally, throughout our lives we should clear room in our schedule for athletic and social movement as well. Our bodies need all kinds of movement if we hope to stay healthy and fit as we age.

Looking to Grow (?)

What do most older adults want to achieve as we age? Yes, we want to have financial security, but the biggest concern is that we do not want to suffer from physical and cognitive ailments. It is no secret to readers of my blog that physcial activity helps to ensure both physical and brain health. Working with older adults is rewarding because I am able to see the progress my clients make that allows them to live life more fully.

I am looking to grow my business for just this reason. Of course, I want At Home Senior Fitness to be successful from a financial standpoint, but I know that there many people out there who could benefit from the services we offer. They just do not know about us yet, or they think that there is no one out there who understands them and their particular circumstances. To try to reach out more, I am expanding into social media to help get the word out.

If you are interested in your own personal growth or know someone who is, check out our instagram account or our FaceBook page. These are updated on a regular basis and share the latest that is going on–even some great pictures of my clients doing their workouts! As always, more info is available at my website, or you can email me at michael@athomeseniorfitness.net.

Let’s help each other grow!

At Home Senior Fitness is Growing…Again!

It has been about four months since I told you about my welcoming At Home Senior Fitness’ first additional personal trainer, Sam Kalamasz. She is steadily growing her client base and bringing our unique brand to the Brunswick/Medina/Strongsville area near Cleveland as well as the rest of the world via the internet. I am looking forward to her continued success and growth.

As of the first of the year, I welcomed Victoria (Vicki) Yannie to AHSF as well. I hinted at it in my year-end reflection, and now it is official. Vicki brings a wide range of skills and experience. Both her undergraduate and Master’s Degrees are in the areas of physical education and she is a certified Silver Sneakers instructor. She has extensive experience working with older adults, has written papers, and made presentations on a wide variety of topics related to fitness. Vicki will be helping me to cover the eastern suburbs of Cleveland as well as some on-line work.

When I started AHSF, I was not sure if there really was demand for what I was offering. It was a risk, but it has paid off–not only from a business standpoint, but also in the ways that we have been able to help older adults become stronger, more flexible, and even more independent.

The big news, then, is that At Home Senior Fitness is able (finally!) to accept new clients. If you are or know an older adult who wants to get the most out of their years, contact me at michael@athomeseniorfitness.net or http://www.athomeseniorfitness.net.

Thanks to all my clients and everyone else who has supported AHSF! Here’s to a bigger, better, and healthier 2023!

Reflections on 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, I have a few reflections on the work that I have been doing for the last 12 months.

There were many successes. I have engaged two other trainers to work with me; the newest will be introduced on this blog soon. This has become a necessity as I continue to get regular inquiries about my services and there are only so many hours in a week. My book of clients has been maxed out for a while. Once I get these two trainers up to their desired number of hours, I will consider expanding further. All of this was unimaginable to me when I started At Home Senior Fitness over two years ago.

The rabbi work continues to be fulfilling. My part-time pulpit at Beth El – The Heights Synagogue continues to allow me to do some of the work that I enjoy best and for which I have decades of experience. Our small congregation of 80 families feels just like that–family; this, of course, means that there are squabbles just like in any family, but we always look out for each other. The most exciting developments this year have been the addition of some new families/individuals who have brought fresh ideas to what we do, and the inititation of a fundraising campaign to raise $250,000 to write a new Torah scroll and have some money to cover extraordinary expenses.

I continue to help out at a local synagogue that is “short” a rabbi. This is like being a substitute teacher but, in general, the “students” are more respectful and appreciative of the work I am doing. Most of the time (sometimes weeks on end), I have no responsibilities, but there are other times when I have my hands full with hospital visits, funerals, leading services, etc. I am glad that I can help this congregation as my family and I have many wonderful connections there.

I also have a very part-time gig as a consultant for American Greetings, based here in Cleveland. They have a line of greeting cards for Jewish occasions and I make sure the content and artwork are appropriate for the given purpose. This is actually fun and lets me flex some creative muscles (see what I did there?).

On a less positive note, two of my clients passed away. I blogged about one earlier; the other passed away in the fall–quite suddenly. He was one of my best clients, training with me three times/week for 45 minutes; I really enjoyed our time together and miss him and his sense of humor. Other clients have been through injuries and medical crises, but thankfully most are back to working out or on their way to recovery.

Best of all, I have had a good year health-wise: no surgeries! I did have COVID and am still dealing with Long COVID, but I am grateful that my case was mild and my continuing symptoms are mostly manageable.

It has been a good year. 2023 will be filled with lots of opportunities. I will continue to blog about what matters to older adults when it comes to their health, and I will continue to service the community in other ways as well.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and fit 2023!

Thinking about Thanking

I have blogged several times in the past about the health benefits of being grateful. Our general outlook on life (positive or negative) can have a profound effect on our health and wellbeing.

In the spirit of the holiday, and in the interest of good health, I would like to briefly reflect on those things for which I am thankful this year at Thanksgiving. Of course, I am grateful for my health, my family, my friends, and my general welfare, but I want to discuss a few more obscure blessings in my life.

I am truly grateful for the clients in my personal training business, At Home Senior Fitness. I am truly fortunate to have a great group of clients–not just because they help me pay the bills, but also because I have been able to build great relationships with most of them. I have shared meals with clients, visited them in the hospital, and seen them through joyous occasions and times of loss as well. They have also seen me through ups and downs. I really do care about my clients and that care and concern is returned in spades.

I am grateful for the personal trainers that I had as a client. I always enjoyed the workouts and the results, but did not realize what a huge effect they had on me, pushing me to always do more and better. This has influenced the way that I train my clients as well. I also learned from them the importance of relationships as well as building and maintaining trust.

I am thankful that I have a network that has helped me build my business. Sam Kalamasz, who is working with me, has been a great resource and is committed to helping me grow my client base. ACE (through whom I maintain my certification as a personal trainer) has been helpful and informative. FAI (through whom I have my specialization to work with older adults) continues to enrich my skills. IDEAfit is the main source of my continuing education credits; their on-line resources and conferences are pretty top notch. SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is also an invaluable tool; they exist in most cities and helped me get organized as I launched my business. I definitely could not have done this all on my own and these organizations have been vital.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I encourage all of us to go beyond the “typical” things we are grateful for and consider some of the other factors that have helped us get where we are. The next step, then, is to try to be the person that others are grateful to have in their lives.

Best wishes to all for a happy and fit Thanksgiving!

Two Years on my Own (sort of)

Today marks two years that I am working on my own as a Personal Trainer. November 15, 2020 was my last day employed at the local JCC. Last year I blogged about my thoughts on the one year anniversary; and it was an interesting read.

I wrote “sort of” in the title because I am not exacly all on my own any longer. The addition of Sam Kalamasz to my team means that I have someone who is helping me expand my territory and business. Sam will begin offering on-line classes aimed at a more beginner/intermediate level; my fitness classes are more on the challenging side. Once we get one class up and running, we will expand the offerings further. These classes will be offered virtually, so if you are interested or know others who would be, please contact me at michael@athomeseniorfitness.net.

There are still many opportunities out there. I would like to get into the digital realm and hope that 2023 will be the year that happens. I will be in need of more help the east side of Cleveland soon as I have potential clients whom I have turned away. I am also eager to find ways to partner with others who serve older adults. It is all looking up.

It is important to mark milestones like these. It is a time for reflection–looking back and looking forward. For now, as we are about to head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I am grateful for all the help and support.

Here’s to many more anniversaries!

Looking for Older Adults who Want to Feel Better

Thanks for all the feedback on the exciting news about At Home Senior Fitness’ growth. In case you missed it, my personal training business now has a new trainer: Sam Kalamasz. Like me, she has a specialization in working with older adults and has many years of experience. I consider myself fortunate that we have connected, and clients are already complimenting her good work.

What this means in practical terms is that there is more capacity to help older adults who can benefit from greater strength, increased flexibility, and improved balance. The need out there is tremendous and I often have a waiting list. Having Sam on board means that it is more likely that we can meet the demand with less of a wait time.

While I am covering in-person training at client’s homes in Beachwood, Pepper Pike, and the Heights (Cleveland’s eastern suburbs), Sam will cover Brunswick, Medina, and Strongsville (southern suburbs).

As the pandemic has eased up, many new clients have expressed a desire to do in-person training. This may not always be an option (if it is outside our territory or the schedule does not mesh). It is important to note that half of At Home Senior Fitness’ clients train virtually, that is to say, via Zoom. This allows us train clients as far east as New Jersey and as far west as California–not to mention clients overseas. Yes, we are global!

Even so, many folks are intimidated by a virtual workout, or are concerned that it will not be as effective as in-person; I blogged about this over two years ago. I have a few clients who have trained (and still train) in a combination depending on availability; virtual clients (who range in age from mid-50s to mid-80s) will attest to the safety and effectiveness of on-line training. Back in the early days of the pandemic, many older adults were not familiar with the technology to make it happen, but as time has elapsed the majority have learned to navigate Zoom and other virtual platforms. They have learned that it usually involves no more than the click of a mouse to start the live video.

The continued good news from At Home Senior Fitness is that we are looking for clients who want to feel better as they age. If you are interested in staying strong, preventing falls, and being mobile while minimizing injury and exposure to COVID-19, get in touch with us at http://www.athomeseniorfitness.net or michael@athomeseniorfitness.net. Let’s talk about what we can do for you! It will be worthwhile and fun!