RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND PREVIOUSLY WHEELCHAIR BOUND
Rich you’ve had a pretty transformative process at DMF. Can you tell us what brought you to us and why you chose DMF?
Ive lived with Fibromyalgia for over 25 years and whilst it is well managed and I am able to work and have a reasonably active life (compared to 20 years ago when I was reliant on a wheelchair for mobility and thought I would never work again) I recognised that I wanted more. Ive also suffered from mild manic depression over the years.
I am an Occupational Therapist by profession – in fact it was studying to be an OT at Uni that helped me to work with my Fibro and ditch the wheelchair. Now I am a clinical manager with a wheelchair service – Ironic eh?
In more recent years I have develoiped arthritis and a few other medical conditions and have found it increasingly harder to lose weight and even harder to keep the weight off.
I guess the realisation that I will be 60 next year and that retirement is not that far away was a crystalization point that made take a look long hard look at myself and basically ask what is important to me.
Naturally, I want to lose weight and get fitter but its more about being able to be active in retirement, go on adventurous holidays, be able to run and play with future grandchildren.
I knew how ever that if I was going to achieve this it wouldn’t be by following apps, onluine classes or just going to to a gym. I was going to need some actual coaching from someone who understoof my individual needs and my health challgnes. But ther were also other criteria.
- It had to be local to home and work
- There had to be support with nutrition
- There had to be focus on education around weight training.
- There had to be focus on understanding how to work on different muscle groups to build strength as well as lose weight and sustain weight loss.
I came across DMF purely by accident on a random Instagram post and It was one of many that popped up regularly most of I dismissed but there was something about the DMF poist that caught my attention so I decided to find out more.
After talking and meeting with Dan, DMF ticked all the boxes and with the gym literally 5 minutes away from work and on my route home, looked a perfect choice
The rest as they say is history
What has changed for you?
I think my whole attitude to fitness has changed.
I was always the wimpy kid at school, skinny as hell, always the last to be be picked in PE and generally hated school sports anyway, preferring sailing, rowing and canoeing as a kid and skiing, snowboarding as a young adult.
Coming into DMF I was very dubious, nervous even about being able to doing any kind of weight lifting but incredibly ( as I still doubt myself at times) I am lifting increasingly heavier weights and notching up personals bests!
My understanding around nutrition has and is improving and tracking my meals has made me more aware of what I eat and drink.
My weight is down 6kg, my energy levels are up, I am eating well and feel healthier all round.
The biggest achievement/change I think is the impact of my Fibro; It still there and I live with the pain in my joints 24/7 but my body is stronger and healthier now and that means I can better cope with the daily aches and pains and consequently, my mood is so much better because I can cope better so much so that I have ditched the anti-depresants!!
On top of this I really enjoy my gym sessions – its hard work – but I love it.
How did you make those changes, and how was DMF a catalyst in this?
The key is planning and communication and DMF are there to support you as much or as little as you want/need.
Ben is my PT and I keep him updated with my progress so that my personal targets can be adjusted as necessary. I also meet with Dan to discuss the broader aspects of goals, targets and progress so I feel very supported by the team but Im also accountable to them.
DMF run focussed programs over a short periods the most recent being Alpha8. The big focus of the Alpha8 program was nutrition and especially planning your nutrition and getting into good habits around what you eat, what you drink, supplements and tracking.
Buts its not all work, work, work – DMF have organised visits to different types of gyms, sauna and cold plunge sessions (that certainly was an experience) as well as social nights out.
What are your goals going forwards?
Basically I want to continue along my path of getting fitter and mantaining good nutrtional habits. I still have some more kgs to lose and I want to keep building my muscle gains and increasing my strength and fitness levels.
Ultimately as I start the transition from full time worker to retiree I want to maintain a good level of activity and fitness. Plus, my wife and I have plans for active holidays over the next few years starting with Alaska this year, South America, Canadian Rockies, Mexico and Japan.
Why should someone join DMF?
DMF is not just about going to the gym for a few hours a week.
Its more akin to becoming part of a family or club that will give you as much or as little support you want.
By joining DMF you will:
Become more aware of how your body works
Increase your understanding around nutrition
Understanding how muscle groups work and how the different gym sets benefit those muscles
Grow in confidence
Make new friends
Lose weight
Increase strength
Have fun!!!!!!
