FitClub recently caught up with its own trainer, Max, to learn more about the personal training available to members with Parkinson’s Disease.  Jan Baird is one of Max’s clients and Jan is seeing inspiring progress each day.

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Jan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in December 2015.  In October 2016, on advice of her doctors, Jan started working with Max.  Progress was slow at first, as it often is, but Max built routines designed for Jan's ability.  With each workout, Jan feels stronger and more flexible and the hard work is paying off.

A typical workout for Jan includes a warm up, a variety of leg kicks, squats with a step together, and weights.  When Jan started working with weights and practicing the pull down, she started with three pounds of resistance.  She can now pull down thirty pounds!  The Bosu ball provides an excellent balance exercise that Jan can now complete better than many other individuals at FitClub.

Jan typically works out at FitClub every day.  Although life can get in the way, she knows that staying consistent with her medications and exercise routine allows her to experience gradual improvements and because she’s seen great success, she wants more improvements. When Max isn’t available, Max posts workouts for her that are personalized to her strengths and weaknesses and designed to push her a little further than her last workout.

When Jan started working with Max, she couldn’t run or jump and climbing stairs was very difficult.  Parkinson’s, as Jan discovered, forces you to move more slowly and takes you longer to perform tasks you once performed more quickly.  Max designed workouts that included stairs so that Jan could build on this task, but also balanced her workouts with cardio, balance exercises, weights and stretching.  When Jan tells Max she can’t do something, her workouts tend to focus on just that type of activity!  Because of that focus, Jan can now jump and take the stairs.

The results have been amazing for both Jan and Max. Not only can Jan do the things she once couldn’t do, but often people don’t realize she has Parkinson’s.  When Jan was recently visited by a home health care nurse for a physical, the nurse was surprised to find out that Jan had Parkinson’s because she has made so many improvements and worked hard to combat the effects of Parkinson’s Disease.

Jan credits Max and her very encouraging family for her success. She’s able to see now that other people are far worse off than she is, and that motivates her to work harder every day.  She wants to be an inspiration to those struggling with Parkinson’s Disease or any other type of limitations.  Knowing that she sees improvement is what keeps Jan dedicated to her workouts.  She is certainly an inspiration to Max and the entire FitClub community.  FitClub is extremely proud of both Jan and Max and looks forward to checking in with both in the future to see what new and exciting progress has been made!