Fit to Print Volume 23 Issue 4 December 2014 | Page 27

S t a f f Pe r s p e c t i v e

by Sue Brunjes, EP

It’s Never Too Late

from page 20

To Get Stronger and Healthier

Sue Brunjes & “Miss Kay”, Kay Gagliardo

A

s an Exercise Physiologist/ Trainer, I
am constantly inspired and amazed
by my clients. It doesn't matter if
I've been working with them for 8 years or
8 months…each one brings their own
amazing story to the table (or gym, for
that matter). One of these clients is Kay
Gagliardo (or Miss Kay, as I like to call
her). She “found” me about 8 months ago
when Jenn DiPalma and I presented a
seminar on women's health. She was one
of the attendees. She was very interested
in maintaining her health as well as taking
advantage of the free health screening
Jenn and I were offering that evening.
Kay has been a member of Fitness
Incentive for about 15 years…sort of a
fixture. She always went about doing her
own routine but when she and I sat down
to discuss her health screening
information, she informed me she was
interested in expanding her exercise
experience. She felt like she was in a bit
of a rut…sort of the same thing every
week for the past 15 years. She also
wanted to make sure she was exercising
at the correct intensity, frequency and
duration, not only to maintain her current
fitness level but maybe even to improve
it. This was how our client/trainer
relationship began.
A couple of weeks after the seminar, Kay
and I met for her full training assessment
(which included a medical history,
exercise history, measurements and
cardiovascular testing utilizing a GXT).
Then a few days later we started her
training, which at the time was twice a
month for one hour but is now four times
a month for half an hour. I soon
discovered Kay was very strong (even at
her almost “way past retirement years.”

Real Runner

She didn't want me to reveal her age)
and was willing to perform any exercise
or movement I put before her. Not only
was she willing and able when we were
together but she was like a
sponge…absorbing and then actually
doing the exercises I was teaching her
on her own. This was fantastic because
one of my goals for my clients is not
only to get healthier and stronger but
also to become educated on proper
form and technique. I wanted her to
learn how to exercise in the most
effective and appropriate manner for
her. Each week we met she would have
questions from the week before. Soon
the questions turned into statements” I
am getting so much better at this
exercise or so much stronger with that
movement.” She came to me one day
and told me her walks on the beach
weren't hurting her back as much
because her legs and core were so
strong now. She also went on to say she
should have started personal training
years ago. Those types of statements
and observations are the ones I love to
hear most as an overall healthy
lifestyle, which includes all the fun (and
maybe not so fun) activities of daily
living that become more enjoyable (or
less draining).
Kay embodies what my style of training
aims to do…live the healthiest, most
balanced life you can! Let exercise
complement your lifestyle. Spend an
hour or so at the gym
training/exercising most days of the
week in order to make the other
aspects of your life better. It's never too
late as Kay expresses in the following
statement:
“Never Too Late….Is what everyone said
when I grumbled about not working with
a trainer earlier in my FI membership.
Now that I have been working with
Susan Brunjes for about 8 months, I
cannot believe how much stronger I
feel. I have learned so much. I thought
just going through the movements was
getting the job done, but of course
there is much more to it.
If you've never had the personal training
experience, I strongly recommend
it…before you near the 15 year mark!!”

Sue Brunjes is a
Certified Personal Trainers
and Exercise Physiologist at Fitness Incentive

Holidays 2014 FIT to Print

the first loop was now like an oasis in
the desert at mile 26. I can't be sure
there wasn't a V