Dave’s story starts as an active professional in his 60s, balancing a demanding career with his personal fitness goals. As a CEO operating a virtual business from his home office, Dave spent long hours on Zoom calls and working at his desk. Staying active was not only a priority for his physical health; it was also essential for his productivity and mental clarity at work.

Outside of work, he looked forward to maintaining an independent, fulfilling lifestyle well into his 80s.  A lover of golf, pickleball, and long walks with his wife, Dave cherished his physical health and vitality. But nagging injuries—chronic pain in his back, hips, and knees—threatened to derail his vision for aging gracefully.

In search of solutions, Dave spent years cycling through generic fitness programs and trainers utilizing cookie cutter approaches. “Even though they would advertise their training as something different, it always seemed to end up being a one size fits all approach” says Dave. Each attempt ended the same way: new injuries, mounting frustration, and no sustainable progress.

Finding Functional Fitness

In spite of his frustrations, Dave continued to remain open to other solutions. His turning point arrived when he came across a different approach to fitness, a more functional approach. Enter Andrew, a functional fitness specialist who took Dave on a transformative journey.

The functional fitness approach Andrew presented was unique, it forced Dave to slow down and address some of the root causes of his pain—imbalances, restricted mobility, and weak areas. Although it was initially slower than Dave would have liked, he had faith in the approach. “It started slower than I wanted,” says Dave. “But Andrew convinced me to trust the process, which ultimately allowed me to move better, have less pain, and realize more strength gains over time.” Training at home also made it easy to commit to the process, eliminating excuses of being too busy to go to the gym and it helped Dave create a consistent routine in his demanding schedule.

Overcoming Trials and Setbacks

Of course, progress didn’t come without challenges along the way. There were times Dave would come to his workouts with Andrew having had tweaked his knee playing pickleball the day before, or agitated his hip on a weekend golf trip with the guys. Even though these setbacks tested Dave’s resolve, Andrew was always able to adjust the session to accommodate what his body needed in the moment. “After small injuries, sometimes you have to take one step back to go three steps forward, but having trust in the process was key for my long term progress,” says Dave. Andrew’s attention to detail was also critical in these moments, as he always kept a clear record of past workouts and exercises that helped Dave’s specific ailments. “Andrew always kept great notes of our sessions together,” says Dave.

The Transformation

Over time, Dave was beginning to notice the subtle changes in how his body felt. Activities that once left him sore, like a day on the golf course, became routine again. “There were no epiphanes or aha moments in terms of how I felt, I just noticed a gradual shift over time,” says Dave. For example,

“In the past, a day after playing a round of golf, my recovery used to be much slower, and now I don’t even think about the fact that I played golf the day before.”

The cumulative effect of these gradual shifts was undeniable. Dave is now moving through his day with more ease and assurance, reclaiming activities that once seemed daunting. Today, Dave’s playing better golf, enjoying pickleball with friends, and setting the pace with his wife on their walks.