As people age, they develop aches and pains...
To avoid these pains, many avoid movements that seem to trigger them, but the body was not made for inactivity. Avoiding movement leads to a more sedentary lifestyle, and as a result, more aches and pains.
Some may find a local sports gym and think they can power through with the help of a personal trainer; However, many gym trainers are geared toward muscle building and quantity, rather than quality of movement. Often, they don’t know how to safely work with bodies that are aging and they may lack the specialized training to provide nuanced modifications. This can cause injury, further setbacks, and even more aches and pains. This can be frustrating, disappointment, and discouraging, especially if they're older and trying to get back to the activities they love.
At Square One Fitness, we help our clients adapt their aging bodies to build strength, so they continue to enjoy the activities they love without pain.
Don't Stop Enjoying Life
Modify your movement instead
Instead of stopping activities you love, we teach you how to modify your movement with strength and safety in mind, so you can continue participating in activities you enjoyable.
Our fitness classes are designed by medical professional, Dr. Emily Blair, and were created to help you adapt to an aging body in a safe and sustainable way that doesn’t prevent you from living your best life. In our small fitness classes in Albuquerque, you will get the individual feedback and encouragement you need, so you can continue to move and enjoy the activities you love for years to come!
Our gym is a welcoming, encouraging, and peaceful space, with lots of natural light, wood tones, and no jarring music.
If you’re interested in finding out how our gym is designed with you in mind, come in for a trial class or a fitness assessment to dip your toe into the water, and find out what your body can do!
Not sure where to start? Do any of these stories relate to you?
Pat has struggled with a variety of setbacks over the years. She just can’t seem to get started on a fitness program, and is worried about how that will affect her older years. She has seen her parents become dormant and deteriorate due to the inactivity, and it worries her that she may end up in the same boat. Her body awareness is not great, and she gets lost easily in group fitness classes. She knows her form isn’t great, but doesn’t really know how to fix it, and in larger classes doesn’t get the feedback that she needs. The trainer tells her to “engage her core” but honestly, she doesn’t even know what the heck that means. She’s discouraged because she feels like she’s doing the right things, but still ends up getting injured. She dreads going to the gym and is tired of feeling like she is behind everyone else in class. Pat decides to try the Foundations of Fitness class and it’s like a light is switched on. She is given the time to really learn about her body and what terms like “core,” “stabilization,” and “mobility” actually mean. Even outside of class she is noticing a difference, things feel more “plugged in,” and her body awareness is increasing. Most importantly, she is feeling motivated to move more, and to explore the way she uses her body throughout the day. Although she’s only spending a couple of hours a week in class, she is noticing the concepts in use during the hours outside of class. Her confidence is growing and soon she is ready to move on to the Smart Strength classes where she can start adding strength to her now rock-solid fitness foundation.
Dave is no stranger to fitness. He was athletic as a kid and prided himself on his strength and agility. But then middle age hit. Instead of brushing off injuries, they started lingering longer. Endless hours behind a desk have been cutting into his activity time, and he just can’t seem to make up for it despite exercising on the weekends. He pushes through at the gym and on the hiking trail, but still has frequent setbacks, tweaks, and injuries. He tried hiring a personal trainer, but was disappointed in their lack of knowledge. Dave reads a lot about fitness and felt like he knew more than his trainer. Plus, he was still getting injured with some of the workouts. It was a waste of time and money. Dave heard about the Smart Strength classes from a friend, and was skeptical. After all, he had been there and done that. He decided to give the class a try and was immediately hooked. The trainers kept an eagle eye on his form and were able to make simple modifications to his movement. Suddenly things that had been hurting in the past seemed effortless. Even better, the trainers could answer his questions and had a wealth of knowledge about movement. Looking around the class he could see that each activity was being modified to the individual person. Even though they were doing the same movement, some folks were being given modifications and regressions, while others were being progressed into the perfect amount of challenge for their ability level. He knew that he could safely progress into as much challenge as his body needed on that particular day. Walking to his car after class Dave felt his body working in smooth, coordinated movements. He felt each step connected to the ground, and although tired from the workout, he also felt energized, strong, and alive. Finally, he had found his fitness home.
Sandy is going through menopause and is starting to think about increasing her strength. The more she reads the more she realizes that building muscle is important not just for increasing her resting metabolism but for her bones as well. She tried the big box gyms, but was bored by the weight machines, and the noise and clatter was annoying. She also tried some group fitness classes and enjoyed the camaraderie, but wasn’t getting enough individual attention to feel like her form was safe. Online classes had a lot of variety and she liked a few of the ones she found on YouTube, but again, she wasn’t getting feedback on her form, and wasn’t really sure if the instructors knew what they were doing. Sandy was excited to find the kettlebell classes at Square One Fitness. The classes were very small, just a couple of other folks - so she had all the fun of group fitness, but with the individual attention of personal training. It was a perfect fit! She feels herself getting stronger every day, and loves that carrying a bag of mulch, or picking up her elderly dog, no longer feels like something that might injure her. Her confidence and energy is also on the rise. She feels better than she did when she was younger!
I have personally seen family members go from vibrant active people, to inert and sedentary due to fear and apprehension of pain. They were told not to move or to avoid activities, instead of being taught how to move with ease in their body and to continue with the activities that bring them joy.
I don’t want anyone to move less than they want to. I want to help you move with strength, so you can be confident that your next movement won't include pain. I want to help prepare you to move and be strong enough to meet life’s challenges. As a medical provider, I’m not only a trained expert in the body, I also have years of experience helping people move better. I would love to help you!
When you’re sick of the pain and ready to move with strength, give Square One Fitness a call. We'd love to schedule a fitness assessment to figure out the best path for you and your body!
Dr. Emily Blair
Fitness Coach & Owner
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