Juan is a Professor in the Department of Botany at UBC.

Can you start by telling us how long you have been part of the Personal Training Program?

Juan: I have e-mails from my first trainer, Amir, starting from January 2011! That’s much longer than I thought!

Why did you choose Personal Training at UBC as opposed to other gyms or programs?

Juan: I think it’s the trainers. They keep me motivated and over time we’ve become friends; something that I really appreciate. They really know what they are doing, and that is comforting. Right now I’m working with Taha K. and I can tell that he has long term plans about my progress and carefully prepare long in advance. He is also very observant and targets things that he knows will benefit me in particular (as opposed to blindly following some generalized program).

Two specific examples: he noticed that I was falling down a lot, so he started me on exercises improving my balance, strengthening my ankles, etc. He also noticed me being slow in standing up from the floor, and that started him on a program of Turkish get-ups (I haven’t quite forgiven him for that one). I can also tell that he’s constantly learning new things, and I enjoy being his guinea pig.

How has the Personal Training program enhanced your UBC experience and overall fitness?

Juan: I can certainly tell that I’m much fitter than I would be otherwise. In fact I start feeling queasy when I don’t train for an extended period (let me tell you, I’m the prime example of a sedentary person, and for me to say that is quite something).
 

Other than the Personal Trainers, what keeps you coming back to UBC’s fitness facilities?

Juan: The fact is the gym is so close to my workplace, and that lets me have much more flexibility (I actually come for training when life gets complicated, which I wouldn’t be able to do if the gym was further away).

What is one thing you think other staff or students should know about Personal Training?

Juan: I find that it is worth the money. Not only because of the knowledge that the trainers have, but because knowing that I’m paying for someone to actually go to the gym and wait for me there really motivates me to get off my butt and actually go there, even when I don’t want to. If I was trying to train on my own, I would probably miss many, many more sessions.

Almost at the last question! So you have years of Personal Training under your belt now, can you share one of your favourite memories in this program?

Juan: A few years ago I signed up for a hike to see the Burgess Shale, in Yoho National Park, before realizing that it involved many, many hours of uphill hiking. I’m overweight, have bad knees, and never hike, and at one point I was close to cancelling the whole thing, because I thought that I wouldn’t be able to do it. At that time my trainer was Amir, and when he heard about this he made me climb stairs for months on end before the hike. I hated it, but when the time came I really made it up there (barely). For Biologists the Burgess Shale is something really special because it has some of the oldest, best preserved fossils of invertebrates known from anywhere in the world, and to be able to see them just lying there was unbelievable. Without the training I would have NEVER made it, that is a really nice memory that I owe entirely to Amir.

Sounds like you have had really positive relationships with your trainers. Before we let you go, is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?

Juan: For me, exercise has never been about losing weight or looking better, it has always been about keeping healthy, both physically and mentally. I am convinced that my quality of life would be much, much lower if I hadn’t made the decision to take a personal trainer all those years ago. Money well spent.

Are you Looking to Get Started with Personal Training?

Whether you are new to fitness, looking for a specialized program, or an experienced athlete, our friendly and personable trainers can help you reach your full potential – whatever your goals might be! Visit the BirdCoop Fitness Centre or the ARC at the UBC Life Building to purchase personal training packages, or contact fitness.programs@ubc.ca for questions/inquiries.
 
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Unfortunately today’s fitness class, Express Cycle from 12:10 – 12:50 PM in the SRC Spin Studio is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

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