A New Lease on Life

Where to begin??  It all started when my wife, Cindy came home excited about another one of her brilliant ideas.  This is where my journey begins.

My name is James. I am 52 years old and was born and raised in California.

My life to this point has been pretty sedentary with a game of golf on occasion and mowing a small patch of grass in our yard. Exercise has never really interested me, but I have always wanted to find a way to get motivated. Especially as I am getting older, and weight has slowly but steadily been creeping up on me. I reached my all-time high of 268 pounds. My blood pressure was high and so were my cholesterol levels. My life and health were definitely headed in a bad direction.

So back to my wife. She began to tell me that she found this great club called Life Time and wanted me to take a look. She thought this would be a great way for us to get in shape as a family. She went on and on about the facility, friendly staff, and all of the activities it had to offer. Of course, I was not really interested, but I appeased her and told her I would go and check it out with no real intention of going.

My stepson Sean is 15 years old and has never really shown interest in sports or exercise and my wife thought if we went as a family he might take an interest.

As a stepdad, I have never been able to find a common activity or hobby Sean and I could bond over. To be honest we always have kind of butt heads even though I have raised him since he was 2 years old. He did show a small interest in working out and knew several kids from school that workout at Life Time.

I figured I should set an example and show an interest as well. We thought it would be a great idea to sign up for some personal training sessions to get a good foundation and learn the basics.

When I finally walked into the facility, I was more than impressed. As soon as I walked in the door I was welcomed immediately by friendly staff. They took me on a tour. I began to get really excited. The vibe and overall energy, plus the fact that everyone looked in a lot better shape than me left an indelible impression.  From the equipment to the pool, to the health food café, pickleball, and basketball courts I had never seen anything like it. This was no ordinary club and really felt more like a community. Even the people working out seemed to have a great attitude.

It was my first personal training experience, and I was determined to show my stepson that a healthy lifestyle was important for all of us.

We started with our trainer, Chad. Chad! He was fantastic at showing us the ropes. Keeping our attention with all of his knowledge on fitness and getting into shape through not just exercise but our diet as well. He made it a lot of fun too which I was not expecting. It would be an understatement to say I was beyond motivated. Chad brought up this 60day Challenge and thought I might be a good fit. “Life Time has a program and there is a huge support system through the club, etc”. I figured what the heck, my son would see my dedication and attempt at trying to get fit.  I can’t even begin to explain what this has done for my life. I am down over 30lbs, 10% body fat and have never felt better. I no longer need to take blood pressure and cholesterol medication! Chad was a huge support by putting together a comprehensive eating and workout program that I found easy to follow. His coaching and friendship have made a big impact on my son and our outlook on nutrition, fitness,  and having an overall healthy lifestyle and attitude.

It’s hard to put into words what Life Time has done for my son and our relationship. He was so excited for my progress and learned so much about fitness that he started becoming somewhat of a coach for me as well. We get up every morning at 5:30 am and set a game plan for our workouts. After morning weights, I have at least half a dozen different classes that I love and look forward to at lunch every day. My favorites so far are GTX, Barbell, and Spin. Always finishing off my workout with a 10-minute sauna and steam. Life Time truly has it all and has become my home away from home. Having moved to Franklin recently from California it has been a bit of a challenge for me to meet new people. That’s not the case anymore, I have made a bunch of new friends and business contacts.

Most important of all, my son and I have finally found our common ground. Our relationship has blossomed like never before. During our workouts, we talk, laugh, connect, and develop a bond throughout the process. I am so very grateful to Life Time, my trainer Chad and the wonderful supportive staff. This has truly become a lifestyle change for me that I will no doubt keep up for the rest of my life.

This past weekend with the arrival of Spring I mowed my lawn and couldn’t believe how much easier it was with 30lbs off of my back. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and will do so with Lifetime at my side.