Here’s how one couple recommitted to living healthfully with each other
By Patricia Nugent
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, couples will be thinking about chocolates and love notes, roses and spa trips. But if living longer together and enjoying a peak quality of life are on their wish list, they may want to think more about couples’ training packages.
Just ask John and Linda Heiden, who work out together at MaxStrength Fitness in Westlake. The 70-something pair has been married for 46 years and exercising twice a week here since 2018.
They enjoy similar interests, belonging to the Cleveland Hiking Club for the past 34 years, hitting the trails, hills and paths both locally and in faraway places like Sedona, Arizona, logging in as many as 80 miles per month.
Although these two self-proclaimed “Energizer Bunnies” get plenty of cardio exercise, their primary care doctor recommended they also start strength training to work their upper bodies and prevent bone density loss. Plus, they have family who are in poor health, and they plan to enjoy their later years to the fullest by avoiding any health concerns.
“One of the nicest things a couple can do for each other—to spend more time in the healthy half of ‘in sickness and in health’—is to bring out the best in each other through training,” says MaxStrength Founder Jeff Tomaszewski, who has enjoyed his own long and happy union with wife Jodi.
He reports the studio actually has lots of couples who buy training packages and split them.
“They don’t necessarily all work out at the same time, like the Heidens, but they do hold each other accountable and motivated,” he says.
When John and Linda attended a senior wellness event and met Jeff, the MaxStrength concept sounded like a perfect fit for them.
Based on research he conducted as a graduate student in exercise physiology at Case Western Reserve University, the formula of 20-minute, twice-weekly workouts has proven successful for countless clients. Besides the abbreviated length and frequency of the workouts, the one-to-one, trainer-led system differs from other training programs in that it follows intense, slow exercises on high-tech equipment designed to fatigue the muscles so they can rebuild on the off days. Another big benefit is people don’t get sweaty during the sessions since the studio is kept at a cooler temperature.
He Said, She Said
John and Linda might come at the same time and share common fitness goals, but they have lots of different reasons for loving MaxStrength.
Linda says, “The workouts never get boring, are different each time, and every move is personalized to my goals. Form means everything and the trainers watch and guide with every rep I take.”
John says, “I love how efficient and professional the trainers are. It’s not like a gym, where people sit around chit-chatting or jibber-jabbering about the Browns. Once you get into the studio, it’s all business and the workouts are hyper-focused and concentrated. Just because it’s only 20 minutes doesn’t mean the exercises are not hard. I walk out of there feeling like I’ve really maxed out my muscle groups.”
“The studio is spotlessly clean and they take every precaution against Covid,” Linda adds. “We wait in the car until they call us in. With all the air-cleaning machines, protocols and constant sanitization, I’ve never once felt anything but completely safe.”
“Since we’ve been coming here, I’ve definitely noticed an increase in stamina when it comes to our hikes,” John shares. “I’m not as tired afterward. I’ve also noticed how toned my muscles have become.”
“The motivational emails we receive from Jeff are so uplifting,” Linda remarks. “He’s a life coach in every sense of the word, always encouraging us to follow the healthiest path in life, whether through clean eating, stress relief or meditation.”
Weathering Winter
January and February are great months to start training. Jeff points out that research has shown a significant link between exercise and a strengthened immune system.
“You’ll be in a better position to fight off colds, the flu, and, of course, Covid, when your body is operating at peak efficiency,” he explains.
MaxStrength Fitness is located in Westlake, at 2211 Crocker Road, Suite 120 or 4212 State Route 306 in Willoughby. Working with The Germ Free Company, the studio is continuously disinfected. They also limit the number of clients allowed in the facility and run wellness checks on staff to make sure they’re symptom-free. Just call 440-835-9090 for the Westlake studio and 440-226-8080 for the Willoughby studio, to request your complimentary initial consultation and demo workout. You can find out more information and view more testimonials at MaxStrengthFitness.com.