In early 2021, Sandra was in a car accident — a bad one. She feels lucky to have survived, but she left the scene in pretty bad shape.
“I was immobile for quite some time,” remembers Sandra. “I’m 63 years old and I have issues with my bones already.” She suffered a spinal fracture, a concussion, a broken foot, a broken ankle … the list goes on. Four months in a wheelchair and multiple surgeries later, she chose to keep the momentum going. Sandra did a lot of hard work with her physical therapist, and once that therapy ended, she signed up with a personal trainer. She’s been working with Coach Rebecca at Anytime Fitness Brodheadsville, PA, ever since.
Coach Rebecca has nothing but admiration for Sandra. “She’s always consistent with our training sessions and she gives it her all,” Rebecca explains. “Even on the days when she tells me she thought about canceling because she might not feel like leaving the house, she still shows up and crushes her workouts.”
Not slowing down
One of the reasons Sandra loves having a Coach is because it helps her stay engaged. “It’s been marvelous,” Sandra says. Her past solo trips to the gym made her “bored senseless,” but Coach Rebecca knows how to keep things interesting by switching up their routine. “The time passes really quickly,” Sandra says.
To track her progress, Rebecca and Sandra do a monthly Evolt body scan. “We’ve been doing the body scan once a month, which is marvelous,” she says. “It’s very interesting to see every month how my lean body mass relates to my water mass to my fat, and exactly where I’ve lost it or where I haven’t. That’s very encouraging … It gives you much more of an idea of what’s going on in your body.”
Mobility is key for Sandra. “I’m trying to walk at every opportunity.” She says she has a job that requires her to be at a desk for long periods of time. “Getting up and walking is very important.” Remarkably, Sandra says she’s not in any pain. “I’m marvelous. I don’t take any pain meds,” she says. “I’ve been good for quite a while now.” It never ceases to amaze us how strong the power of movement is.
A marvelous perspective
In spite of it all, Sandra doesn’t seem too phased. “I’m a very positive person, I suppose,” she laughs. “I’ve had a lot of support, from my friends and my partner… I think I’ve been very lucky. To be honest, I’m just lucky to be alive.”
Sandra’s reasons for training are simple. “I don’t want this accident to define my life,” she states. “I refuse to let it get me down. I have too many places I want to be, too many things I want to do.” She’s also gearing up for her retirement, which she wants to be physically ready for.
Looking ahead, Sandra’s goals are to get back to normal. “I used to ride a bicycle, and I have a kayak,” she recalls. “I haven’t done either of those in two years, so I’m really hoping this year to get back into that again.”
Anytime Fitness members, have you had a body composition scan before? Many AF locations are equipped with bio scanners, like the EVOLT that Sandra uses to track her results. Ask a Coach for more details, or schedule an appointment in the AF App.
