Healthy Living • Y Stories • YMCA Health and Fitness
How Carol learned to walk again
12 October 2016 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
As she struggled to recover from a difficult back surgery, Carol became frustrated with her body’s limitations, overwhelmed by the reality of having to retrain every muscle and joint in order to walk again. Personal trainer Kim got her out of the gym and into the pool, where Carol was finally able to reach her full potential. Here’s Carol’s Y Story:
In January 2015, I was very overweight, on a waiting list for back surgery, barely able to walk even with the help of my walker, and unsure how to start the healthier diet and exercise program that was supposed to help my recovery.
I started swimming and exercising on my own at the Y, which allowed me to have a successful surgery thanks to me being almost 20 pounds lighter than I’d been just a few short months before. I then followed my doctor’s orders for a very slow recovery, returning to the Y and re-starting my extremely gentle workouts.
It took until this past December for me to realize that I was holding myself back by working on my own. At that point, I had started walking with a cane, but I had spent so many years compensating for my back issues that virtually every muscle and a lot of joints needed to be retrained if I wanted to walk straight. I decided I needed a personal trainer to give me that kind of individualized, one-on-one attention, so I hired Kim, who I already knew from all the time I’d spent at the Y over the past year.
We started in the gym, with Kim assessing my strengths and weaknesses. I thrived on the challenges and was frustrated that my enthusiasm and body limitations were at odds. So after a few difficult sessions, Kim suggested we try training in the pool. We instantly knew that was the best option for me. I was amazed at how much more mobility I had in the pool versus the gym, and suddenly found myself able to do all the challenging exercises I wanted to! Running, jumping, weight training, and core strengthening exercises all became fun and exciting. Kim definitely had me working in high gear without me even knowing it — until the next day, when my body let me know I had had a really good workout.
Kim regularly adjusted my workouts and I quickly gained endurance, strength, and flexibility in every part of my body. Now, I still do my training sessions in the pool, but they’ve helped me improve so much that I can also do a gym workout routine in between.
Today, I don’t need a walker or cane. I walk strong and straight, all on my own. I’m also back to doing everyday activities like gardening, going up and down stairs, and housework — all the things we take for granted, until you can’t do them anymore. I’m so excited to continue all my workouts — both in the pool and in the gym — with Kim, and am extremely grateful to her for teaching me how empowering aquatics training can be.
In January 2015, I was very overweight, on a waiting list for back surgery, barely able to walk even with the help of my walker, and unsure how to start the healthier diet and exercise program that was supposed to help my recovery.
I started swimming and exercising on my own at the Y, which allowed me to have a successful surgery thanks to me being almost 20 pounds lighter than I’d been just a few short months before. I then followed my doctor’s orders for a very slow recovery, returning to the Y and re-starting my extremely gentle workouts.
It took until this past December for me to realize that I was holding myself back by working on my own. At that point, I had started walking with a cane, but I had spent so many years compensating for my back issues that virtually every muscle and a lot of joints needed to be retrained if I wanted to walk straight. I decided I needed a personal trainer to give me that kind of individualized, one-on-one attention, so I hired Kim, who I already knew from all the time I’d spent at the Y over the past year.
We started in the gym, with Kim assessing my strengths and weaknesses. I thrived on the challenges and was frustrated that my enthusiasm and body limitations were at odds. So after a few difficult sessions, Kim suggested we try training in the pool. We instantly knew that was the best option for me. I was amazed at how much more mobility I had in the pool versus the gym, and suddenly found myself able to do all the challenging exercises I wanted to! Running, jumping, weight training, and core strengthening exercises all became fun and exciting. Kim definitely had me working in high gear without me even knowing it — until the next day, when my body let me know I had had a really good workout.
Kim regularly adjusted my workouts and I quickly gained endurance, strength, and flexibility in every part of my body. Now, I still do my training sessions in the pool, but they’ve helped me improve so much that I can also do a gym workout routine in between.
Today, I don’t need a walker or cane. I walk strong and straight, all on my own. I’m also back to doing everyday activities like gardening, going up and down stairs, and housework — all the things we take for granted, until you can’t do them anymore. I’m so excited to continue all my workouts — both in the pool and in the gym — with Kim, and am extremely grateful to her for teaching me how empowering aquatics training can be.
