YMCA personal trainer Anna Schneider and trainee Sid Miller inspire each other.
No matter your age or your level of fitness, you are sure to benefit from a personal training experience with the experts at the YMCA. You will also find classes that encourage improvement. Don’t have the motivation or courage to go to the gym? There are many home workouts that can help build your balance and stamina. Vive spoke with YMCA personal trainer Anna Schneider and inspirational trainee Sid Miller, 88, to learn more about the Y’s offerings and to discuss how fitness and training saved their lives.
Anna, what is your role here at the YMCA?
Anna: My role here is to make everybody feel like they can do what they want to do, that they can be stronger, that they feel empowered . . . . And my role is to do that through personal training for people like Sid.
What is your backstory in training or fitness in general?
Anna: Okay, that’s a long story . . . I’m 64, feeling like I’m going on 44, and I’ve been doing this since I was about 22, so a long, long time. This is just who I am. I can’t sit at a desk. I need to help people feel better about themselves, so here I am!
I’ve been in the food and fitness industry for over 40 years. It happened quite by accident, and luckily, I listened to my heart and where God was leading me and never looked back. For the past four and a half years, I’ve been blessed to work with the YMCA. They represent all the best in fitness and do everything within reach to help each person feel invited, included, and successful with their fitness goals.
What are some of your best tips and tricks for seniors to stay fit?
Anna: One of the things you want to work on all the time is balance. Balancing is going to [keep] you from breaking your hip, falling down on the sidewalk—[staying] out of the doctor’s office, pretty much! You can just do these kinds of things at home. You can do it at the kitchen counter, when you’re brushing your teeth . . . you can practice getting up and down from a chair . . . So you can really get exercise all of the time.
Do you have any suggestions for seniors who are just starting out with fitness or are thinking about it?
Anna: Take it slow. Don’t jump in. If you decide you’re gonna work out six days a week, it’s not going to happen.
Sid: Be consistent. Don’t go too fast but be consistent. If you can come three times a week, set a date. Put it on your calendar.
For these activities, do you have any time ranges for seniors to start out with or build to over time?
Anna: Ideally, you should try to get cardio in at least 30 minutes, five times a week. That could be gardening, working in the backyard, walking your dog . . . . It’s good for your heart, lungs, and spirit to keep moving. Remember, a body at rest stays at rest. A body in motion stays in motion. Adding in some resistance training three times a week will help strengthen your muscles. Combine the two, and you’ll sleep better, lower your blood pressure, become more agile, and live longer.
What activities do you suggest seniors avoid?
Anna: If you’ve got a bum shoulder, obviously, watch that; if you’ve got a bum back, watch that. Bottom line, if it hurts, don’t do it. If you have any chronic issues, check with your doctor and be sure to let us know. We’ll recommend adjustments.
Most people cannot do a parallel movement because it’s a lot on the shoulder girdle, so you’ll want to avoid too much straight overhead movement. So maybe avoid barbells; dumbbells are the way to go. But it really depends on your limitations. If you have limitations, we work around it. The TRX [suspension trainer] is a great tool for people with limitations. You can do stretching with it, you can do squats . . . pushups. So this is a tool I recommend for a lot of people.
Are there any other pieces of equipment you recommend for people to invest in?
Anna: [Resistance bands]. These can go anywhere. If you’re not that mobile, you can do some of these things in a chair. While you’re watching TV, there’s a commercial, what? Every four minutes? [You can do bicep curls] during commercials—until the commercials are over. [Also], weights, maybe even a stability ball.
What’s your top suggestion for our readers?
Sid: Get a good trainer. Even if you can’t do it long-term, you can just get a trainer short-term, and they’ll teach you how to do these things. I have a trainer because it makes me be consistent, and I know I’ve got to be there.
How do you get started at the Y?
Anna: If you’re a new member, no matter how old you are, you get two free coaching sessions to help you learn. So, if you walk in, and you’re like ‘Oh my gosh, what do I do? I’m scared, I’m intimidated, I don’t wanna do this,’ you’ve got at least twice to get started.
Our senior population is especially dear to my heart. If you are a senior sitting at home feeling stiff, and have lost mobility, are out of shape, or maybe even [feel] alone, we are here for you. Our fitness coaches have the knowledge to guide you through a reasonable exercise routine that matches your fitness level. Don’t let the fear of being uncomfortable keep you away.
Sid, what is your backstory with fitness and health?
Sid: Well, I’ve always been active. I played football, ran track and cross country, and I continued to run until I was about 60 years old, doing 5Ks and that kind of thing, but then my knees started bothering me a bit, so I got down to a fast walk. But I like to garden, and I’m a surveyor and mapper, so I’ve always been [outdoors and] active. I guess maybe about two years ago, I felt like I was losing muscle mass, and my balance wasn’t all that great, and my posture was going to pot, so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll start going to the Y, and maybe they can straighten me out.’ And they’ve been a big help.
Anna, how would you best describe Sid’s attitude toward fitness?
Anna: I tell him to do 20 pushups, he does 22. I tell him to do 10 squats, he does 13. I bust his chops, he busts mine. That’s pretty much how it goes. Sid doesn’t give up. Sid’s not his age.
Sid: I never think about age. I just do what I can do, and I keep doing it. If I didn’t know how old I was and somebody asked, ‘How old are you?’ I’d guess 60. But I’m 88. I’ll be 89 in two months.
Anna, how do you feel Sid can be an inspiration to others?
Anna: Well, he’s 88, and he does 35 pushups! And he still does personal training. He shows up. He works hard. That’s all the inspiration you really need.
