Happy clients

In Feb. 2012, I received a bad cholesterol report from my Dr. I decided I needed to do something about it, so my husband and I joined the Athletic club. I decided I wanted a personal trainer and was assigned to Karen Bluhm. Well..that was one of the greatest decisions I've made! My cholesterol numbers went from 240 to 165 in 6 months. I lost weight (and am still losing). I lost 8 pants sizes!!

Karen taught me so much about exercise (I never liked exercise and never did much of it but walk). Karen's a wonderful trainer and person. She kept me straight, and still does. Her classes are awesome. She has been so helpful and supportive for me on my journey to better health. She even taught me how to “walk” right. When walking now, I include periods of running. That helped to boost my weight loss and, I’m sure, the drop in my cholesterol.

I am 66 years old and never had exercised before. If I can do it, so can you! I am grateful for meeting Karen and all she has helped me with. I feel great and am hopeful to live a lot longer now that Karen has me on the road to better health. I will continue to join her classes as long as I can. My Dr. has taken me OFF my cholesterol meds: whereas in Feb. she doubled them. Also my arthritis and low grade fibromyalgia pain had greatly subsided and I hardly take anything for them any more. Karen takes no credit for it. She just says I made it happen. But without her encouragement and support I don’t think I would have stuck to it.  

This afternoon I spent two hours digging up an 18 foot x 12-foot flowerbed, planting bulbs, and carrying 35 lb. bags of mulch to finish it off. As I worked, I watched various flocks of geese fly over my head. They fly in a V pattern with the geese in the back of the V honking encouragement to the front members of the V. 

That started me thinking about working with Karen – she continuously encourages me to go a little longer and farther than I did the last time. I started training with Karen in March of 2011 at the age of 57, when I had reached a weight of 161. I hadn’t exercised regularly in years, and had little to no stamina. Karen worked with me, slowly increasing the weight of the dumb bells, and the time of cardio and core exercises. 

The weight loss was frustratingly slow, but Karen encouraged me to keep exercising and to “clean up” my diet. In November of 2012, I joined Weight Watchers. The weight started to come off, as I gained muscle and lost fat. Karen started her own business in 2013, and I still had a contract to fulfill with another gym, so I started training with another person. But I didn’t work as well with my new trainer as I worked with Karen, and I suffered a couple of injuries during that training. So when I was able to come back to Karen this summer, I jumped at the chance. 

I'm still working to gain strength, and overcome a hamstring injury, but this morning I weighed 139 pounds. The stamina and strength I have gained has translated to several areas of my life: the breath support necessary for choral singing has improved, I am able to carry heavier items (like furniture) and do more yard work. Which brings me back to those encouraging geese… 

I first started TRX in Arizona when we were there for the winter and immediately fell in love with it. I have always worked out but needed to go that extra step. I went on line to find an instructor near my home here in Williams Bay, WI and found Karen. I set up an introductory appointment with Karen so she could get to know me and see my strengths and goals. 

Being 65, I wanted to push myself to the next level but needed to be sure I did not hurt myself or set myself back by doing to much. Well, let me tell you!!! Karen is wonderful and understood my goals and concerns from the start. I have become even more strong and balanced than I could ever imagined. She has worked my buns and has pushed me to limits I didn’t think was possible. I love what TRX, FIST and Karen has done for my body. I don’t feel 65 and lucky for me, I don’t look 65 and I contribute a lot of that to Karen and my hard work. Don’t let your age keep you from your goals or hold you back. If I can do it, so can you.