Happy New You!!!
By Beth Buck

"You bought me what for my birthday??" I demanded, incredulously, as I tried to leap from my chair, but barely managed a painful limp.

"Six weeks with an incredible personal trainer," my son, Luke, replied. Oh, no.

"I don't need a personal trainer," I boldy lied, "I don't want a personal trainer, and if you know what's good for you, you'll return him and buy me that bracelet I asked for!"

"I know what's good for you," Luke replied, "Besides, he's bought and paid for and unreturnable." Oh, my.

This was unbelievable. Almost unforgivable. What woman, over 60 (just a tad!) didn't have an aching back? And bad knees. And didn't need help getting out of a chair, up the stairs and down the driveway. Oh, ok, I also had lots to pinch on my underarms. And thighs. Abdomen. But I do not have a double chin - my necklace is just too tight!

"By the way," my son added, as he quickly stepped out the door, "He's also a nutrition coach." Aaaagh.

The only good part of this was that my husband, Ross, was condemned to the same fate - what was good for the hips was even better for the beer belly! Hahaha.

And so it began. Our "incredible personal trainer" was Aram Ovsepian, owner of Workoutmaster, in Pasadena. ("And how do you know he's 'incredible?'" I asked. "Because we did the research," Luke smiled, smugly.) We'll just see about that.

First we talked. We asked, Aram answered. We were pressing, pushing, intractable. He was soft-spoken and pleasant. We weren't at all sure about this. He was. And then he asked and we answered. With little prompting, I was soon talking, in earnest, about my newly limited lifestyle. About my aching joints and ailing muscles. The pain in my hips and lower back that had put an untimely end to my tennis and how merely walking the dogs had become a testament to my courage. Now it was easy to lose my balance, my breath and my belief in a healthy future. Don't tell Luke, but at "just a tad" over 60, I was already mourning the loss of my own life.

And I only admitted it now because "my trainer" was actually listening to me. He wasn't a "drill sergeant" or a one-size-fits-all gym instructor (you can either "play army" or get serious about fitness). He wasn't condescending to my limitations or scolding my laziness. He wasn't intimidating or threatening. He wasn't going to whip me into shape or woo me with easy promises of "instant" results. Instead, he was listening to what I wanted. Seriously. Personally. And then he went to work designing a program for me. My body, with all its aches and pains. My wants and needs. My lifestyle. Ah - lifestyle. And there's the key.

I wasn't going to exercise to get my body back into shape, diet til I lost some weight, regain my strength and balance - my very joie de vivre - only to revert back to my previous pasta, pizza and processed foods, while lounging on the couch! This was a commitment to a lifestyle. For life. And the best part? Only Aram knew that...at first.

After putting my foot down about all the things I "wouldn't give up" I, ultimately, gave up the things that I thought mattered to me most - but really contributed the least to my well-being. I "gave up" white flour and re-gained my energy; I "gave up" white sugar and took back control of my emotions; I "gave up" coffee and I'm re-learning how to sleep. I "gave up" processed foods and...well, you get the idea. I haven't had heartburn, bloating, stomach pains, headaches, toe cramps or pregnancy since I started (and I haven't lost my sense of humor either!).

Certified as one of the renowned C.H.E.K. practioners (please google chekinstitute.com) Aram works with the whole person. Total fitness. And he does it with no weighted machines (you pull your own weight here), no classes, no contracts, no cliches and no tried-but-not-necessarily-true techniques. Taught to assess and correct the most complex autonomic nervous system dysfunctions, Aram offers a lifestyle of wellness. Yours.

Do I now like to exercise? No. Do I love the results? You bet I do. Within 2 weeks of my slightly altered lifestyle I was aglow with energy. Four weeks after that, my arms were firmer, my legs stronger and I was gaining a stability I hadn't felt in years. And almost five months out, both Ross and I are enjoying a re-birth of health and vitality that we thought was lost forever.

OK - is Aram Ovsepian a saint? Nah, but he did save my life. But more important, is he that "incredible personal trainer" that Luke promised he'd be? You'll never know until you call him yourself and see!