Not too long ago a mid-50s gentleman, let’s call him Bob, came to us after we were recommended by another trainer. He was in constant pain, having been diagnosed with sciatica.
“It affected my right hip down to my right ankle,” he said. “I was in horrible pain every time I bent over to get something from a bottom drawer or pick up something that fell on the floor.”
After an initial assessment, we realized that all of Bob’s challenges came from incorrect body mechanics—including bad posture, locked knees and an improper gait. We immediately started him on a recovery exercise program that would recalibrate his muscle structure to relieve the sciatica.
“After only two weeks in the program,” Bob said, “my pain was gone. Not just reduced: gone. I completed the recovery program in 12 weeks, and I have been in a standard exercise program ever since.”
Bob’s is a great success story. If Bob were to talk to a friend who has sciatica he might be inclined to recommend us, and the person would expect the same result: pain-free in two weeks. But it doesn’t work that way. When it comes to fitness and health one size does not fit all.
Results with any program are based on where you start, how well you comply with the program and your body’s ability to respond to what you are doing. When we talk to people for the first time—especially when they want to duplicate the success a friend has had—we caution them. It is important to look only to yourself when you set your goals and understand that the process is about you becoming better and nothing else.
Here’s another example: A middle-aged client, let’s call her Betty, came to us after 15 years of constant foot pain. After trying multiple doctors, medications, injections, orthotics and shoes, she started on a program of proper body mechanics and utilization. As we expected, as we worked with her to strengthen her muscles, her foot pain went away. But we knew this would be temporary because we hadn’t yet resolved the underlying issue.
Sure enough, once we got her stronger and better aligned, her stance and walking style began causing strain on the ligaments and the pain came back. We then worked with her to change her stance and waking pattern to improve the way force moved through her body. Eventually she healed, and with the new, better posture she is pain-free again.
Betty’s journey took considerably longer than Bob’s, and hers would differ even from someone with the same complaint. The lesson here is that it is unfair to match your situation to someone else’s—even if you have the same diagnosis. Doing that will set you up for failure.
So if you have a friend who has had success with a trainer or other fitness program, it’s OK to take a recommendation. But don’t expect the same results. Every body is different; you walk down the road to recovery alone.
Originally published in Grosse Pointe Today.