Eight years ago Chris and Jim Chase switched from a mega-gym to MaxStrength Fitness, here’s what happened when they made healthy aging a choice—not a chore

By Patricia Nugent

Hiking, biking, kayaking, gardening, skiing, tennis and spending active playtime with her adorable 2-year-old granddaughter are pursuits Chris Chase plans to enjoy for many years to come.

Eight years ago—when she and her husband Jim were working with a trainer at a mega-gym—they started looking for a different solution to better serve their 50-something selves.

“The high-intensity program and trainer didn’t feel safe anymore,” says Chris, who is now 65 and works full-time in software sales. “After we found out about MaxStrength Fitness and the professionalism of the trainers and specialized equipment, it felt like the perfect fit. The protocol is highly individualized and caters to our age group. Movements are slow and intense, with a constant focus on proper form. It’s extremely effective and my trainer Dominic pushes me harder than I’d ever push myself.”

Chris has lost 20 pounds and made gains in lean muscle mass, key precursors to healthy aging. Training has also impacted her everyday activities. After training here, she says she and Jim would go kayaking and realized it was so much easier than in the past. Or take a long hike and not feel tired like they used to.

Chris feels that founder Jeff Tomaszewski’s background in physical therapy informs the approach the trainers take.

“Due to arthritis, I had to have my knee replaced last year,” she says. “I think modifying my exercises before and after was a big help to my recovery.”

She also reports that since both she and her husband’s DEXA scans indicated they were in the early stages of bone loss, working out is a preventive investment in their long-term health.

“I spend my work life hunched over a computer, so it’s beneficial that Dominic spends time trying to ‘undo’ that with postural shoulder and back strengthening,” she says.

With retirement on the horizon in the next year or so, Chris shows no signs of slowing down, and she attributes this to her experience at MaxStrength.

“We can easily fit two 20-minute workouts in each week,” she says. “Whenever we talk about things we may need to cut back on after retirement, we say we’d never cut training here.”

NY Resolution: Make Change a Choice, Not a Chore
With the title of Chief Life Transformer as well as founder, Jeff is a master motivator who excels at inspiring people through practical strategies to achieve their optimal health. This month, his focus is on a different approach to New Year’s Resolutions.

“This year I spent more time finding joy in the little things, slowing down and really putting my ‘why’ front and center,” he says. “The result has been feeling a deeper sense of balance, more strength inside and out, and realizing that I’m capable of achieving so much more than I thought.”

His advice for resolutions: Focus on how you want to feel.

“Instead of getting bogged down by the specifics of what you need to do, you can start aligning your daily actions with how you want to feel,” he says. “Ask yourself—Do you want to feel more energized and confident? That you’re making progress to investing in your long-term health? This way, the changes you make feel like a choice…not a chore.”

MaxStrength Fitness is located at 4212 State Route 306 in Willoughby. Call 440-226-8080 at 2211 Crocker Road in Westlake, 440-835-9090 and at13500 Pearl Road in Strongsville, 440-467-0700 or for more information or to view more testimonials, visit MaxStrengthFitness.com.