For Alison Lynde, going to the gym has always been about taking the time to focus on herself. As a working parent with two young children, Alison’s days were full. Going to the gym was a chance to step outside her routine.
Alison admits she was never good at coming up with her own fitness routine. She signed up with Personal Trainer Maggie Smith at the GoodLife Fitness Bullock and McCowan Club in Markham, and hardly ever missed a session. When the gyms closed in March 2020, Alison felt lost. She relied on the gym for her mental and physical health and that structure was abruptly removed.
“I worked extremely hard during the year and was seeing results. I was active, eating well, losing fat and toning muscle. The gym closed and we were forced into isolation, distance and I think many people felt overall deep emotional distress. For me, it felt like the world was ending.”
Alison continued to go into work each day as a senior human resources manager for her family’s dermatology clinic. She was responsible for developing the clinic’s COVID-19 safety protocols and policies, as well as addressing the evolving HR needs of the seven physicians and 40 staff members who work with her. Her husband is a teacher, so with school closures, he was able to support Alison by teaching from home and assisting with the kids’ online learning.
“I was mentally exhausted, physically tired and not focused on my personal health. Like many others, I was just trying to get through the day and keep myself and my family safe and healthy.“
Alison’s husband, Andrew, was comfortable working out from home, but she had trouble developing her own workouts that would keep her on track. They did some online fitness classes together, but nothing felt effective. Alison enjoyed running outside, but still had trouble maintaining a routine on her own.
When gyms reopened in the summer, Alison went back right away to her two weekly training sessions with Maggie.
“Personal training was moved into the Group Fitness Studio. It felt really safe…actually I felt safer at the gym than at the grocery store. It was great to be back in there.”
When gyms were forced to close again in the fall, Maggie reached out to Alison to offer virtual personal training sessions. Initially, Alison worried she wouldn’t get the same benefits as training at the gym, but she decided to give it a try.
“I knew from the first lockdowns that it was better to do something than nothing. I signed up for virtual training and we booked our sessions for right after school since I no longer had to get home and wait for my husband to watch the kids.”
This time, Alison had more equipment to work with. She and her husband had borrowed some weights and resistance bands and purchased a kettlebell. Her kids were learning remotely so they joined in on some of the workouts.
“Each week my children would ask ‘Mom do you have the gym with Maggie today?’ When I said yes, they would both put their shoes on and join the exercises. This became a COVID ritual that I will remember for years to come.”
For Alison, the training sessions with Maggie became a standard she counted on to get her through the pandemic lockdown. Working with a Personal Trainer helped boost her confidence and took the pressure off to come up with her own workout program.
“Over the year, I’ve learned that health and fitness is a journey. Some days are good and some days are not great, but staying active is essential to overall success in health and wellbeing. This year taught me I’m strong, I’m capable and I’m resilient. I will continue my fitness journey through the rest of the pandemic and I feel lucky to have been able to keep going from home.”
