Caval Olson-LePage, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, shares her journey with health and fitness. The following is her story in her own words.
I work in financial services and lead a team of eight people. My job is busy and I love going to the gym as a way to make time for myself and to take a break from work.
I signed up for personal training with Tyler Weiland and it added a new dimension to my enjoyment of fitness. There’s something great about learning proper form and having someone tailor a program and push you.
For quite a while, my goal has been to run in a Spartan Race. Tyler helped me realize my abilities and he built a fitness and nutrition program to help me prepare for the Spartan.
We were just getting going, so when Covid-19 hit and the gyms shut down I was really upset. I missed the gym. It’s a friendly community, and it’s something I look forward to in my day. I realized I’m very social and I definitely feel worse when I’m not active.
I knew I had to do something, so I bought a treadmill. Tyler sent a weekly program that I could do in my basement. He checked in regularly to see if I was OK and hold me accountable, it made all the difference. How was I feeling? Did I get my steps in?
We had virtual training sessions on Fridays. All I had to do was open my laptop and there was Tyler standing by to train me. It helped me feel connected socially. I had someone I could lean on, especially when I wasn’t motivated.
I used to be intimidated by the gym – I thought you had to be strong enough, fit enough and know what you’re doing. But that’s not what it is. It’s a welcoming community with lots of support. I missed the gym when it was closed. I feel stronger coming out of the pandemic lockdown than I felt going into it.
I noticed when I came back after the gyms opened, I handled stress better. We’re back at the credit union and working in shifts and with partitions. It’s stressful in new ways, so being able to workout has really helped.
Now I train with Tyler twice a week and I do Goodlife’s online HIIT workout on Instagram every Saturday morning. I also do my own workouts twice a week, based on a program Tyler designed for me.
The pandemic changed my outlook when it comes to fitness. I enjoy the extra flexibility of being able to workout from home alongside my trips to the gym for training and workouts.
On days when I don’t go to the gym, I’m taking shorter breaks during the day to be active. Maybe I go on the treadmill or take lunchtime walks around the block. It’s not as hard as I thought to stay active.
When the pandemic is finally over, I’m still planning to do a Spartan Race. Tyler has me doing pull-ups. They’re my least favourite exercise, but he’s building me up to them. Together we’ll get there.
