February 27, 2025 • 32 mins
Trainers often ask me for advice about taking their businesses mobile, how they can bring their fitness equipment and coaching to clients over 50 in the clients’ homes. Well, on this episode, I’m talking to a trainer who has figured it out and sharing all his tips.
Benjamin Villalon has been training people at home for a while with Benefitnessnow in Houston.And just last year, he and his wife, Claudia, and their team of trainers began developing Agestrong Fitness for the over-50 market.
Benji reports things are going great, and I couldn’t be happier for them – especially since they’re about to welcome their first baby.
I met Claudia last year at the Functional Aging Summit in Los Angeles, and they’ve been Prime Fit Content subscribers ever since. I love the messaging they share on their website, which I can’t claim any credit for. It says, “Empowering active adults 50+ to stay fit, strong and independent. Specialized training for balance, strength, and mobility.”
That’s so smart and, obviously, effective. It takes more than good training and smart marketing to build a mobile training business anywhere, especially in sprawling Houston. I know you’ll enjoy learning how they’ve done it.
Topics Covered:-
✅ Why traditional gym settings don’t always work for the 50+ age group
✅ How in-home personal training provides a customized, accessible fitness experience
✅ The business opportunity in catering to the 50+ fitness market
✅ The biggest challenges and misconceptions about fitness for older adults
Connect with Benjamin Villalon here :
• Email : benji@benefitnessnow.com
• Website : www.benefitnessnow.com
Follow Jay Croft here:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primefitcontent
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/croftjay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaycroft
For more tips reaching the over-50 fitness market, subscribe to The Optimal Aging Podcast or visit www.primefitcontent.com.
Email: jay@primefitcontent.com
Thanks for listening!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
oftentimes will even get their kids wanting this for
their parents to have someonecome to their home making sure
that they're moving better,they're getting stronger.
They want to kind of avoid someof the challenges that can
happen as you get older.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hi everybody, I'm Jay Croft and welcome to the
Optimal Aging Podcast, where wediscuss the business of exercise
, healthy living and well-beingfor people 50 and over.
Each week, we explore whathealthy living means for
millions of people over age 50and what's coming next, with a
focus on communications, contentand making powerful connections
(00:38):
.
Trainers often ask me foradvice about taking their
business mobile, how they canbring their fitness equipment
and coaching expertise toclients over 50 in the client's
homes, and I thought it would begood to learn a little bit
about this topic and share itwith you.
So on this episode of OptimalAging, I'm talking with a
(01:01):
trainer who has figured it outand is doing really well in
Houston, and he's sharing all ofhis tips today.
Benjamin Villalon has beentraining people at home for a
while with Benefitness.
Now that's his fitness business, and just last year he and his
wife Claudia and their team oftrainers began developing Age
(01:22):
Strong Fitness for the over 50market, training them at home.
Benji reports that things aregoing great and I couldn't be
happier for them, especiallysince they're about to welcome
their first baby next month.
I met Claudia last year at theFunctional Aging Summit in Los
Angeles and they've beenPrimeFit content subscribers
(01:43):
ever, since I love the messagingthey share on their website,
which I can't claim any creditfor.
It says Empowering activeadults 50 plus to stay fit,
strong and independent.
Specialized training forbalance, strength and mobility
that is so smart and obviouslyeffective Takes more than good
training and smart marketing andthe van to build a mobile
(02:06):
training business anywhere,especially in sprawling Houston.
I know you will enjoy learninghow they've done it.
Benji hi, nice to see you.
Thanks for coming today.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Hey, Jay, a pleasure to be here.
Thanks for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Oh, absolutely Absolutely.
You've been a subscriber toPrime Fit Content for a year or
so now, and so it's nice to haveyou on to talk about your
business.
I really like some of thethings that you're doing, and
more than whether I like it oris that.
I get asked about a lot aboutin-home training, and I know
(02:40):
you've been doing that for awhile, and you've recently
switched to your focus to beprimarily on this over 50 market
, so I think we've got a lot ofinteresting stuff to cover today
.
If you don't mind, let's juststart by giving me the Benji
story and the Age Strong storyabout how we got here today.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
So I guess, just to start a little bit about me,
I've always just had a passionfor fitness and movement.
Early on I knew I wanted tomake a difference in people's
lives through health andexercise.
My background is in kinesiology.
I studied a little bit withchiropractic medicine for about
(03:20):
one to two years, eventuallystarting in gym settings working
with a variety of clients.
Over time I saw firsthand thelimitations of one size fits all
exercise programs, especiallyfor older adults.
So the turning point for me wasjust noticing that active
adults over 50 weren't gettingthe personalized attention that
they needed in big gyms.
Many felt overwhelmed,uncomfortable or just simply
(03:44):
they just weren't really gettingthe results.
So that's kind of what led meto Age Strong Fitness, which is
our training program specializedfor active adults.
50 plus In-home training wascreated within Benefitness.
Now, in a nutshell, kind of thejourney and how we came about
it who is we?
My wife, my partner in crime.
(04:04):
So I started my business aboutseven about to go on eight years
now in about a month and shecame into the picture and
started kind of assisting andhelping me she's a trainer as
well, I would say about threeyears ago and now we're kind of
going through a big life changeas we're expecting our first.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Congratulations In Ah congratulations.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
In March actually.
So it's actually at the sametime that we're about to hit our
eighth year in business, so alot happening in a month from
now.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
That's great Good for you.
Tell her I said congratulationsas well.
I met her about a year ago atthe Functional Aging Summit in
Los Angeles.
I don't know if she'll remembermeeting me or not, but tell her
I said hello.
So you mentioned Benefits.
Now that's your business.
Has been around for a few yearsnow and that was providing
(04:56):
in-home training to sort of ageneral audience.
Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Right, I would say Benefitness Now was our in-home
personal training business wherewe were sort of delivering
expert hands-on coaching intopeople's homes.
I would say predominantly itwas mostly busy parents, working
professionals with youngfamilies who, as you know, and
(05:21):
with that age group 30s to 40speople are still kind of
building their career andcouldn't really find the time
for themselves.
So that's kind of where we camein and so that's what was
started.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
And you did that for a while.
You had a good business withthat.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, it was going really well, I mean even during
the pandemic with COVID.
Obviously we kind of had topivot and shift gears a little
bit and so we started doing moreonline and remote live virtual
training before eventually wewere able to go back to people's
homes.
But during that whole timewe've had some great success
over that.
But yeah, the 50 plus communityI felt like was often being
(05:56):
misunderstood in the fitnessworld and many people don't want
to do like chair orwatered-down workouts.
They really want strength andmobility and to be able to enjoy
everyday life.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
So when did you make that switch?
When did you and Claudia decideto focus on the over-50 market?
Was there a specific moment?
Did something happen, or was itmore like a slow realization?
Speaker 1 (06:22):
It was kind of a slow realization.
I have always known that mypassion was working with 50 plus
adults, so it wasn't reallycompletely like a huge like 180.
But I think probably around acouple of months after we had
came back from the FunctionalAging Institute Summit after
Claudia had met with you.
I didn't get the pleasure tomeet with you, but she told me
(06:45):
great things and just we had alot of takeaways from that and I
think after that point we werestarting to get more confident
with making that shift.
So I would probably have to say, if I had to pick a time, it
was probably around September,because the summit was during
the summertime, in July.
So I think in November wasaround the time when we were
starting to kind of just shiftour focus.
(07:06):
And then we kind of came upwith the name Age Strong Fitness
to kind of make it moreattractive to our audience.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Yeah, and I want to get into that branding and some
of the messaging behind it.
But before we get to that, soyou realize some things about
this business opportunity and Ithink some people listening to
this might be in the fitness,are in the fitness industry or
the health and wellbeingindustries and maybe they're
thinking the same thing.
Like gee, I keep hearing aboutthis over 50 market.
(07:35):
Maybe it's something to lookinto.
So, like I can rattle off abunch of reasons why this is the
market you should be focusingon, but I wonder if you could
tell the folks what you learnedmaybe at that summit or during
your research about theopportunity that made you think,
hey, I've always liked this andI've always been passionate
about it, but now it's reallysmart business.
(07:58):
What were those things?
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Yeah, I think that's a good question.
I think the biggest lessons orthe takeaways from what I
learned is that with the 50 plusmarket is that, for one thing,
their goals are very muchrealistic and sustainable.
For instance, I have a clientof mine.
She's in her 60s and she stillworks, and her biggest fear is
(08:22):
that she doesn't want to slowdown.
She likes to travel, her bigthing is skiing, and so we try
to enhance that.
We try to create more exercises.
That allows her to overcome theinevitable.
Right Aging is a part of life,but she wants to be able to
continue to keep enjoying thethings that she likes to enjoy.
(08:43):
So I think there's a little bitof simplicity in that.
You know, fitness doesn't haveto be super complicated.
You can implement it and makeit functional to everyday
movements that you do.
I also would say that one thingI've learned is that the 50 plus
population they have a lot moretime on their hands and so
they're also very healthconscious at the same time.
But I always kind of find thatage group is sort of kind of
(09:06):
like they're starting to kind oflisten to what people have been
telling them.
You know whether it's their ownpeers, their family members,
and so oftentimes we'll even gettheir kids wanting this for
their parents to have someonecome to their home making sure
that they're moving better,they're getting stronger.
(09:26):
They want to kind of avoid someof the challenges that can
happen as you get older.
So those are some of the thingsthat I guess I took away from
that I found was very compelling.
I can personally resonate withthat because my grandparents
were sort of my inspirationgrowing up.
That's what kind of led me tomy passion of working with
active adults over 50.
Because I saw how much theytruly made an importance of
(09:51):
staying healthy and fit.
They were avid marathon runnersand I mean they don't run
anymore, but they're in their80s.
They're very much still healthy, but I can definitely tell that
their bodies are starting tolike catch up with them a little
bit.
But I've always admired thefact that they've always made it
a priority to be a part oftheir grandkids lives, you know'
(10:12):
lives sharing milestones,accomplishments.
I remember seeing mygrandfather.
He was a scoutmaster for hisson and my dad was mine.
When I was going through scouts, I was always involved in
different extracurricularactivities, so I thought that
was so cool that he always kindof made it a part to do that.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah, you mentioned that people over 50 have more
time and they tend to but theyalso tend to have more money to
spend.
A younger, 25-year-old guy waslooking for a cheap deal.
He just wants cheap membershipto walk in the gym and do what
he wants to do and not thatthere's anything wrong with that
, but the opportunity that amore mature person has who can
(10:53):
spend several hundred dollars amonth on private in-home
training.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
That's a whole other ball of wax, right oh yeah, 100,
yeah, they, they definitelyhave the disposable income, and
the fact that we not only offertraining to active adults 50
plus but we also come to theirhomes is kind of what sets us
apart.
Not only that, but it's aluxury that just, unfortunately,
(11:18):
not everybody can afford.
And so tailoring to that age,that market, where really
money's not really an issue,they're more of like I need to
do this that it almost becomeslike not a desperation, but the
need is so much higher.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah, you're offering a premium service and you
charge premium rates for it, andthere are people out there who
are paying you for it.
So it's a good model for allthose fitness professionals out
there who do everything they canto keep their prices so so, so,
so low so that they can helpeverybody, and that's fine if
(11:56):
that's their business model andthat's their mission.
But there's also nothing wrongwith, like I say, offering a
premium service and charging apremium price for it, right,
right, yeah, and I'd rather havecustomers who can pay what I'm
asking, whatever it might be.
I'm not suggesting that theones with more money are always
a better customer or that youshould build your business
around only those people, butthat is an advantage to this
(12:19):
market, I think.
So tell me how it works.
I mentioned that I get askedthis about this sometimes and I
do.
A trainer will ask me hey, Iwant to start a business to
train people in their homes, canyou help me start that up?
And I always have to say, well,I don't, really, it's not quite
my wheelhouse, I don't thinkI'd be much help to you in that,
(12:41):
but it is something that'shappening a lot more, perhaps
since pandemic, right?
So how does it work?
You have a van full of stuff,you drive to somebody's house
and carry it in.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
I mean, tell me how it works yeah, yeah, when I
started training people in theirhomes or in their, whether
they're at their workplace or ifthey're in a residential
apartment or in the fitnesscenter in their neighborhood, it
really sort of kind of cameabout when I remember coming
back after studying for twoyears in grad school and I had
(13:16):
nothing to my name except as apickup truck that was paid off,
that I drove all through collegeand I was training at I think I
told you my background was, youknow, I was master trainer at
Lifetime, to name a few, laFitness, like the big,
well-known corporate big boxgyms, and I would often get
asked hey, benji, the objectionsor the limitations of trying to
(13:41):
meet me at the gym was becomingjust very much an obstacle,
especially for 30, 40-year-oldbusy mom or working professional
who just doesn't have time.
And so they're like can youjust come to my home?
And so I remember I was likesure I don't know what, I'll
make it happen.
So I had just accumulated a lotof this personal fitness
(14:01):
equipment.
Everything was transportable.
So TRX straps, barbells, freeweights, yoga mat, and you can
do a lot with very minimalequipment.
I think people kind of get intheir head thinking I need all
these things to get a workout in.
Sometimes, limiting yourself tojust doing a workout with very
minimal weight, you can actuallyget one of the best workouts,
(14:22):
and so our sessions are 45minutes long, so it makes it
super easy for someone to fitexercise into their busy lives.
And so I was just trainingpeople in their driveways, in
their garage and it eventuallybecame a thing.
You know, word of mouth,everything was kind of my
reputation of me coming topeople's homes became a very
much a big thing.
(14:42):
So I ended up wrapping my truck.
I don't recommend doing that.
It was pretty expensive.
But I eventually downsized to amidsize cargo van because, you
know, because gas prices wereskyrocketing and it was driving
a pickup truck probably wasn'tthe most viable option.
I have a mobile businessvehicle that I go to and
(15:04):
basically bring the gym topeople's homes.
Creating that experience helpssave people time, so there's no
traveling required and it allowsmore of a private, fully
customized experience.
So obviously with in-hometraining there is some
differences.
Right, you do have to be moreadapted to your environment.
You know you're not going tohave access to a smith machine
(15:26):
or a leg press machine, so youdo have to kind of get outside
your box, but it can definitelybe beneficial for someone who
does not like the whole gymsetting crowding, crowdedness,
waiting on a machine.
It could just eat up onpeople's time, and so that's
really what you're giving peopleis allowing them to get results
with less time, and, in anutshell, that's kind of how it
(15:47):
came about.
Eventually, I started hiringtrainers, because it's hard to
be everywhere and serveeverybody if you're going to
different communities.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that, because Houston
is such a sprawling area, therewhere you are, do you have to
limit your territory, or do youhave different employees in
different parts of the Houstonmetro area, or how does that
work?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, so initially I just kind of started out in my
own area where I was living.
I live in Sugar Land, which isthe suburbs of Houston.
It's about 30 minutes Southwestof Houston.
So that's where I lived andthat's really really where I
started to kind of build up myclientele.
Eventually I started kind of Ikind of got a big map and I
(16:30):
started to kind of route breakroutes of where people were were
coming from.
So I would say I was kind ofsticking within 10 to 15 miles
of a radius around that locationand then eventually I started
to kind of look at the more ofthe affluent suburban areas and
started to kind of tap intothose communities with different
(16:53):
marketing strategies that wewere doing Postcards is good for
homeowners, networking withrealtors and then, once I
started to kind of build up moreclients in those areas is when
we started bringing on trainersunder us.
Now our trainers are independentcontractors.
They're not really they're notemployees of ours.
So they do have the freedom tobe able to service their own
(17:15):
clients, but they do representus when they're going out to the
clients that they're assignedto.
And so we try to stick to acertain areas that we target.
We don't cover all of Houston.
It would be tough and it wouldprobably take us almost an hour
to get to each client.
So we have to be kind of alittle bit more strategic.
So we kind of stick to more ofthe West Houston area and we
(17:37):
cover other areas in KatyFulcher, which is another big
community.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
So how many clients do you have and how many
trainers do you have?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
So right now we have about close to 50 clients and we
have five trainers, notincluding me.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
And what's the goal for clients and trainers?
Speaker 1 (17:56):
So the goal is to make each trainer as busy as
they want to be.
We have two out of the fivetrainers we have are almost at
full capacity.
I mean they're pretty muchalmost filled.
They basically just tell us thehours that they are available
and we fill their schedule withclients.
If they are content and justbeing a part-time trainer,
that's totally fine too.
(18:17):
There obviously are ways togrow and we have big goals in
our business to continue toreach our quota and where we
want to go.
So if we see that there's anopportunity to invest in a
trainer, we may even have themstart helping us with networking
and marketing and advertisingfor our business.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
What are the goals for the business?
How big do you want this to get?
Speaker 1 (18:39):
I would love to just get to a point where because
I've actually been trying tosort of offload some of my
clients to our trainers so thatI could have a little bit more
time and I think tapping intothis market makes more sense
given the stage in life that I'mgoing to be in as a new father
and with a little one.
So when I was starting out Iwas working 60 hours a week,
(19:01):
growing my business, trainingclients from early in the
morning to coming home late atnight, and you just can't keep
that.
It's just not sustainable as atrainer.
I think trainers get reallylike fizzled out, and another
thing that I learned with the 50plus adults is that they don't
want to train in late in theevening.
They want to get their sessionand their workouts in when they
(19:23):
can, early in the day so theycan go to work or do whatever
they want.
So that actually makes moresense for me If I can be
training a handful of clientsthat I really love working with
in the mornings, have the restof the afternoon, just kind of
oversee the business, see howthings are running, managing the
rest of the trainers,networking.
That's kind of the goal for mepersonally and I guess from a
(19:44):
business standpoint right now,because we just started to kind
of the goal for me personallyand I guess from a business
standpoint right now because wejust started to kind of
introduce h strong fitness.
We have a few clients obviouslythat are specifically h strong
clients.
Probably double the the numberof clients that we have and to
eventually to where I don't know, sky's the limit we may end up
having maybe a small boutiquestyle studio and maybe do small
(20:07):
group classes for that communityor hey.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Are you a fitness professional trying to grow your
business with people over 50?
If you are, then you need toknow how to communicate with
them, how to market to them andhow to get them to trust you
with their fitness, well-beingand money.
We're talking about millions ofpeople who are a little older
than the typical market that thefitness industry usually
pursues.
They have more money, more timeand better motivation to make
(20:34):
the best long-term fitnessconsumers you'll find anywhere.
If you're not focusing on them,you should be.
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(20:57):
That's prime like prime of yourlife.
Fitcontentcom.
Back to the show.
Sky's the limit with thismarket.
It really is.
Tell us and I'm asking, I guess,for those folks out there who
might be thinking about the samething, but also because it's an
important part of your storywhat have been the one or two
big challenges that you've hadin training people over 50 in
(21:20):
their homes either doing it orplanning the routes or what have
you or in marketing it andgetting people behind you.
I really like what you saidabout engaging realtors.
That's very smart.
A lot of gym owners do all oftheir marketing online and it's
really smart to go out into thereal world like you've been
doing.
So tell us.
(21:40):
I'm just curious what a coupleof challenges have been for you.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
I think just to write off a few challenges and then
obviously I'll kind of touch onsome of the marketing strategies
that can work is.
The challenge, I think, isequipment is that oftentimes,
because you're not going,they're not, they're not in a
gym.
Trying to convince someone thatthey don't necessarily need to
go to the gym to get a workoutin, or having strategies in
place to make them feel likethey can just use their own body
(22:06):
weight or use resistant bands,free weights or even household
items that they have lyingaround the house to allow them
to stay moving, is one space youknow you're dealing with.
Not every home has the fullsetup of a workout, so adapting
your workouts to whatever spacethat your clients may have or
may not have can be huge.
(22:27):
I mean, now, I think oftentimesyou walk into a home now and
most people usually have like ahome gym.
You know, I think after COVIDthat was probably one of the
benefits that came out of it waspeople were buying book fitness
equipment left and right andthen thinking they were going to
use it and then end up justcollecting dust.
And then I think the mindsetshift is another challenge,
(22:48):
because I think 50 plus adultsthey sort of believe that they
can't make real progress.
It's not about losing weight.
Yes, if they lose weight,that's always a bonus, but
overcoming their mental barriersis a huge part of coaching.
You have to have a lot ofpatience and understanding,
which I think takes a lot out ofa trainer, and this is
something that you just don'tsee.
(23:09):
Nothing against gyms, but Ijust think there's certain
expertise and experiences thatcome with working with 50 plus
adults.
So I think that that's probablyone of the main challenges is
the mindset shift.
What is the outcome, what isthe goal here?
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I think part of the problem.
You know I'm in thisdemographic I'm 61.
So I think I can relate to alot of the people you might be
thinking about, because they'remy peers and when we were
growing up, the only reasonanybody went to the gym was a
boy who wanted big muscles.
You know it was mostly guysdoing it and you know it was
(23:47):
just who wants muscles.
I don't want muscles.
It's kind of weird.
It wasn't a part of life yet itwasn't a part of our awareness
about exercise and fitness, andso I think a lot of people
associated with being young andwith being kind of a weird
little hobby to get big musclesback then, and maybe now it's
(24:09):
been really sexualized.
You know that being fit meanshaving a sexy body and I don't
know, I don't think we've done areally good job telling people
that being strong and havingsome endurance and some agility
will, as you were saying, letthem live the life they want to
live for a longer time.
Right, it doesn't have anythingto do with six-pack abs or how
(24:30):
sexy you are at the beach.
It has to do with quality oflife.
So that's my challenge as acommunicator in all of this,
right?
Speaker 1 (24:37):
You definitely hit the nail right on the head.
That's so true.
I remember growing up in your20s that was the thing was going
to the gym.
It was sort of more of like ahangout spot.
You know, now it's becomingmore of like gym culture.
People like going to the gymsbecause of the vibe, the
experience, but it's not goingto really.
I don't think it's really goingto jive well with someone in
their 50s who, you know, it canreally kind of affect their
(25:01):
mindset as to what they want Ithink a gym can be really a
positive setting for people inthis demographic if it gives
them a place where they're heldaccountable.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
They've got friends, they've got peers, they've got
maybe a trainer or a person wholeads their small group training
, something like that, who willnotice if they don't show up, or
who will challenge them and saycome on, ed, you can do better
than that, because that'simportant for everybody, let
alone for people who are alittle bit older and maybe just
(25:32):
deconditioned.
So I think a gym can be reallygreat, but not every gym and not
for everybody.
I think it's wonderful whatyou're doing.
My mother died about a year anda half ago.
She was 87.
She lived alone the last fewyears because her husband died
about five years before she didso she had about five years
there where she was in this bighouse by herself, and by then
(25:53):
she had begun to have someissues where her mobility was
limited and she had no enduranceand that kind of thing.
And I tried to find someone inher little town in tennessee to
do what you're doing and therejust there wasn't anyone.
She couldn't go to the gym.
She couldn't, you know, go.
But she would have beenopen-minded had, had I been able
to find someone like you so.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Well, I'm definitely sorry to hear that.
It only just makes me, I guess,just appreciative of the fact
that what we're doing, you know,just have just having a deeper
connection with clients and justhelping them create, you know,
long-term trust and consistency.
Like you said, accountabilityis having someone come to their
homes.
I mean, what's more accountable?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think it's great.
Tell us maybe one or twoexamples of a success that you
had where you thought, yeah,this is the right thing to do,
this is going to work.
Or a challenge that youovercame and you thought, yeah,
that I can really learn a lotfrom this.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
It's hard to kind of pinpoint a specific success
story but I would say I haveseen clients regain strength,
improve balance, buildconfidence.
I think one client I think if Iwas to that one that stands out
it was actually my oldestclient I've ever trained and he
was 92, going on 93.
And he had a little scooterthat he would get that he rode
(27:07):
around in.
He had a lot of neurologicalissues going on so it was
affecting his ability to moveand he just kind of just had
this desperation in his eyes andjust telling me that he's just
tired of being a couch potato.
Those were his words and hejust felt like he just didn't
want to waste away.
He wanted to do.
He wasn't looking for a miracle, but he just wanted to.
(27:29):
He had very limited mobilityand after training, with working
with him and I mean there wasthings that he was doing that he
had no, he never would haveimagined being able to do a
pull-up with using trx straps.
Now he moves with ease and andhe's able to enjoy activities
that he once once strugglingwith.
(27:50):
So I mean just talking about itreally like it just kind of
reminds me of like the thingsthat we do impact people's lives
in such a way that that's whatit's all about.
It's not.
I mean, yeah, it's always niceto have a business to serve
people, but it's also, you know,just people coming to you and
just telling you how much thatyou've impacted in their lives
(28:10):
and how much they appreciate it.
It's just a great thing.
I would just say to any trainerthat's trying to figure out
where to start, or just focus inyour passion for wanting to
help people.
Just know that progress.
It can be slower at times, butthe results are life-changing.
That's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
I mentioned you're networking with realtors and you
mentioned before we startedrecording that you recently
spoke at slower at times, butthe results are life-changing.
That's beautiful.
I mentioned you're networkingwith realtors and you mentioned
before we started recording thatyou recently spoke at Chamber
of Commerce or something.
What was that about it?
This getting out there andsharing the word in real life
Super important.
Tell us about that.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Well, I've done a couple of presentations so far.
Beginning of this year, januarywas Better Health Month, and so
I'm very proud to say I was amember of a business networking
group in our area and so I was afeatured speaker.
So I did a 10-minutepresentation.
It was all about healthy, likefunctional movements for healthy
(29:01):
aging.
I also spoke about nutritionand some of the three common
concerns to another senior groupat a non-profit.
We do group classes for them,so every once a month I'll go in
and talk about a differenttopic.
But yeah, it was really great.
I really touched.
I touched on quality versusquantity and I think that spoke
(29:23):
to a lot of people.
It's like kind of asking thequestion is, if you were given
the choice between five, you youwere guaranteed to live five to
ten years with like no chronicissues.
You know you were able to livevibrantly versus living 20 to 30
years, but those those yearswere filled with all these
(29:47):
issues that can happen, you know, getting to that disability
threshold.
Which would you choose?
Quality versus quantity?
And then kind of touching onwell, the good news is that you
don't have to choose, becausequality and quantity equal
functional longevity, and so Ithink that kind of spoke to a
lot of people and I think thatjust going back to that mindset
shift is that a lot of peoplejust don't think no one's really
(30:07):
, I guess, connected to them inthat way.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah, that's true.
I think you're right.
That's our challenge andgetting the word out there to
the market.
Now you've got a free e-bookpeople can get.
I want you to tell people aboutthat.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
And I want you to tell people, if they want to get
a hold of you or learn moreabout you, where can they go
online to do that?
Yeah, so we have a free ebookageless fitness.
It's packed with strategies onhow to make the next 50 years
better, so a lot, of, a lot ofgreat tips in that book that we
can I love to share witheverybody.
We're also trying to continueto grow our face, our private
Facebook group, the A-Team,which is a free group where
people can connect and get morefree resources to us.
(30:54):
You can visit our website Rightnow it's currently
BenefitnessNowcom or you canfind us on Facebook, instagram.
And then, yeah, just a specialoffer to all your podcast
listeners Anyone that mentionsOptimal Ag aging, they get a
free consult and a mobilityassessment.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Well, that's a good incentive right there.
Thank you, benji.
I appreciate that and Iappreciate you coming on to tell
the folks about this reallyimportant work, and I want to
say congratulations again to youand Claudia on the impending
arrival.
That's wonderful news.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Yes, yes, we're very excited and yeah, just praying
for a healthy pregnancy, andjust that's all we can ask for.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yes, sir, all right.
Well, thanks again and we'lltalk soon.
Thank you for listening to theOptimal Aging Podcast.
I'm your host, jay Croft ofPrime Fit Content.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, review
and tell a friend.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, review
and tell a friend.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
I hope you'll share anycomments you have with me,
including suggestions aboutpeople I should interview and
(31:55):
topics I should cover.
You can learn more about mynewsletter and content business
at primefitcontentcom and writeme at jay at primefitcontentcom.
Again, thanks for listening.
Join me next time.
oftentimes will even get their kids wanting this for
their parents to have someonecome to their home making sure
that they're moving better,they're getting stronger.
They want to kind of avoid someof the challenges that can
happen as you get older.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hi everybody, I'm Jay Croft and welcome to the
Optimal Aging Podcast, where wediscuss the business of exercise
, healthy living and well-beingfor people 50 and over.
Each week, we explore whathealthy living means for
millions of people over age 50and what's coming next, with a
focus on communications, contentand making powerful connections
(00:38):
.
Trainers often ask me foradvice about taking their
business mobile, how they canbring their fitness equipment
and coaching expertise toclients over 50 in the client's
homes, and I thought it would begood to learn a little bit
about this topic and share itwith you.
So on this episode of OptimalAging, I'm talking with a
(01:01):
trainer who has figured it outand is doing really well in
Houston, and he's sharing all ofhis tips today.
Benjamin Villalon has beentraining people at home for a
while with Benefitness.
Now that's his fitness business, and just last year he and his
wife Claudia and their team oftrainers began developing Age
(01:22):
Strong Fitness for the over 50market, training them at home.
Benji reports that things aregoing great and I couldn't be
happier for them, especiallysince they're about to welcome
their first baby next month.
I met Claudia last year at theFunctional Aging Summit in Los
Angeles and they've beenPrimeFit content subscribers
(01:43):
ever, since I love the messagingthey share on their website,
which I can't claim any creditfor.
It says Empowering activeadults 50 plus to stay fit,
strong and independent.
Specialized training forbalance, strength and mobility
that is so smart and obviouslyeffective Takes more than good
training and smart marketing andthe van to build a mobile
(02:06):
training business anywhere,especially in sprawling Houston.
I know you will enjoy learninghow they've done it.
Benji hi, nice to see you.
Thanks for coming today.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Hey, Jay, a pleasure to be here.
Thanks for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Oh, absolutely Absolutely.
You've been a subscriber toPrime Fit Content for a year or
so now, and so it's nice to haveyou on to talk about your
business.
I really like some of thethings that you're doing, and
more than whether I like it oris that.
I get asked about a lot aboutin-home training, and I know
(02:40):
you've been doing that for awhile, and you've recently
switched to your focus to beprimarily on this over 50 market
, so I think we've got a lot ofinteresting stuff to cover today
.
If you don't mind, let's juststart by giving me the Benji
story and the Age Strong storyabout how we got here today.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
So I guess, just to start a little bit about me,
I've always just had a passionfor fitness and movement.
Early on I knew I wanted tomake a difference in people's
lives through health andexercise.
My background is in kinesiology.
I studied a little bit withchiropractic medicine for about
(03:20):
one to two years, eventuallystarting in gym settings working
with a variety of clients.
Over time I saw firsthand thelimitations of one size fits all
exercise programs, especiallyfor older adults.
So the turning point for me wasjust noticing that active
adults over 50 weren't gettingthe personalized attention that
they needed in big gyms.
Many felt overwhelmed,uncomfortable or just simply
(03:44):
they just weren't really gettingthe results.
So that's kind of what led meto Age Strong Fitness, which is
our training program specializedfor active adults.
50 plus In-home training wascreated within Benefitness.
Now, in a nutshell, kind of thejourney and how we came about
it who is we?
My wife, my partner in crime.
(04:04):
So I started my business aboutseven about to go on eight years
now in about a month and shecame into the picture and
started kind of assisting andhelping me she's a trainer as
well, I would say about threeyears ago and now we're kind of
going through a big life changeas we're expecting our first.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Congratulations In Ah congratulations.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
In March actually.
So it's actually at the sametime that we're about to hit our
eighth year in business, so alot happening in a month from
now.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
That's great Good for you.
Tell her I said congratulationsas well.
I met her about a year ago atthe Functional Aging Summit in
Los Angeles.
I don't know if she'll remembermeeting me or not, but tell her
I said hello.
So you mentioned Benefits.
Now that's your business.
Has been around for a few yearsnow and that was providing
(04:56):
in-home training to sort of ageneral audience.
Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Right, I would say Benefitness Now was our in-home
personal training business wherewe were sort of delivering
expert hands-on coaching intopeople's homes.
I would say predominantly itwas mostly busy parents, working
professionals with youngfamilies who, as you know, and
(05:21):
with that age group 30s to 40speople are still kind of
building their career andcouldn't really find the time
for themselves.
So that's kind of where we camein and so that's what was
started.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
And you did that for a while.
You had a good business withthat.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, it was going really well, I mean even during
the pandemic with COVID.
Obviously we kind of had topivot and shift gears a little
bit and so we started doing moreonline and remote live virtual
training before eventually wewere able to go back to people's
homes.
But during that whole timewe've had some great success
over that.
But yeah, the 50 plus communityI felt like was often being
(05:56):
misunderstood in the fitnessworld and many people don't want
to do like chair orwatered-down workouts.
They really want strength andmobility and to be able to enjoy
everyday life.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
So when did you make that switch?
When did you and Claudia decideto focus on the over-50 market?
Was there a specific moment?
Did something happen, or was itmore like a slow realization?
Speaker 1 (06:22):
It was kind of a slow realization.
I have always known that mypassion was working with 50 plus
adults, so it wasn't reallycompletely like a huge like 180.
But I think probably around acouple of months after we had
came back from the FunctionalAging Institute Summit after
Claudia had met with you.
I didn't get the pleasure tomeet with you, but she told me
(06:45):
great things and just we had alot of takeaways from that and I
think after that point we werestarting to get more confident
with making that shift.
So I would probably have to say, if I had to pick a time, it
was probably around September,because the summit was during
the summertime, in July.
So I think in November wasaround the time when we were
starting to kind of just shiftour focus.
(07:06):
And then we kind of came upwith the name Age Strong Fitness
to kind of make it moreattractive to our audience.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Yeah, and I want to get into that branding and some
of the messaging behind it.
But before we get to that, soyou realize some things about
this business opportunity and Ithink some people listening to
this might be in the fitness,are in the fitness industry or
the health and wellbeingindustries and maybe they're
thinking the same thing.
Like gee, I keep hearing aboutthis over 50 market.
(07:35):
Maybe it's something to lookinto.
So, like I can rattle off abunch of reasons why this is the
market you should be focusingon, but I wonder if you could
tell the folks what you learnedmaybe at that summit or during
your research about theopportunity that made you think,
hey, I've always liked this andI've always been passionate
about it, but now it's reallysmart business.
(07:58):
What were those things?
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Yeah, I think that's a good question.
I think the biggest lessons orthe takeaways from what I
learned is that with the 50 plusmarket is that, for one thing,
their goals are very muchrealistic and sustainable.
For instance, I have a clientof mine.
She's in her 60s and she stillworks, and her biggest fear is
(08:22):
that she doesn't want to slowdown.
She likes to travel, her bigthing is skiing, and so we try
to enhance that.
We try to create more exercises.
That allows her to overcome theinevitable.
Right Aging is a part of life,but she wants to be able to
continue to keep enjoying thethings that she likes to enjoy.
(08:43):
So I think there's a little bitof simplicity in that.
You know, fitness doesn't haveto be super complicated.
You can implement it and makeit functional to everyday
movements that you do.
I also would say that one thingI've learned is that the 50 plus
population they have a lot moretime on their hands and so
they're also very healthconscious at the same time.
But I always kind of find thatage group is sort of kind of
(09:06):
like they're starting to kind oflisten to what people have been
telling them.
You know whether it's their ownpeers, their family members,
and so oftentimes we'll even gettheir kids wanting this for
their parents to have someonecome to their home making sure
that they're moving better,they're getting stronger.
(09:26):
They want to kind of avoid someof the challenges that can
happen as you get older.
So those are some of the thingsthat I guess I took away from
that I found was very compelling.
I can personally resonate withthat because my grandparents
were sort of my inspirationgrowing up.
That's what kind of led me tomy passion of working with
active adults over 50.
Because I saw how much theytruly made an importance of
(09:51):
staying healthy and fit.
They were avid marathon runnersand I mean they don't run
anymore, but they're in their80s.
They're very much still healthy, but I can definitely tell that
their bodies are starting tolike catch up with them a little
bit.
But I've always admired thefact that they've always made it
a priority to be a part oftheir grandkids lives, you know'
(10:12):
lives sharing milestones,accomplishments.
I remember seeing mygrandfather.
He was a scoutmaster for hisson and my dad was mine.
When I was going through scouts, I was always involved in
different extracurricularactivities, so I thought that
was so cool that he always kindof made it a part to do that.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah, you mentioned that people over 50 have more
time and they tend to but theyalso tend to have more money to
spend.
A younger, 25-year-old guy waslooking for a cheap deal.
He just wants cheap membershipto walk in the gym and do what
he wants to do and not thatthere's anything wrong with that
, but the opportunity that amore mature person has who can
(10:53):
spend several hundred dollars amonth on private in-home
training.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
That's a whole other ball of wax, right oh yeah, 100,
yeah, they, they definitelyhave the disposable income, and
the fact that we not only offertraining to active adults 50
plus but we also come to theirhomes is kind of what sets us
apart.
Not only that, but it's aluxury that just, unfortunately,
(11:18):
not everybody can afford.
And so tailoring to that age,that market, where really
money's not really an issue,they're more of like I need to
do this that it almost becomeslike not a desperation, but the
need is so much higher.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah, you're offering a premium service and you
charge premium rates for it, andthere are people out there who
are paying you for it.
So it's a good model for allthose fitness professionals out
there who do everything they canto keep their prices so so, so,
so low so that they can helpeverybody, and that's fine if
(11:56):
that's their business model andthat's their mission.
But there's also nothing wrongwith, like I say, offering a
premium service and charging apremium price for it, right,
right, yeah, and I'd rather havecustomers who can pay what I'm
asking, whatever it might be.
I'm not suggesting that theones with more money are always
a better customer or that youshould build your business
around only those people, butthat is an advantage to this
(12:19):
market, I think.
So tell me how it works.
I mentioned that I get askedthis about this sometimes and I
do.
A trainer will ask me hey, Iwant to start a business to
train people in their homes, canyou help me start that up?
And I always have to say, well,I don't, really, it's not quite
my wheelhouse, I don't thinkI'd be much help to you in that,
(12:41):
but it is something that'shappening a lot more, perhaps
since pandemic, right?
So how does it work?
You have a van full of stuff,you drive to somebody's house
and carry it in.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
I mean, tell me how it works yeah, yeah, when I
started training people in theirhomes or in their, whether
they're at their workplace or ifthey're in a residential
apartment or in the fitnesscenter in their neighborhood, it
really sort of kind of cameabout when I remember coming
back after studying for twoyears in grad school and I had
(13:16):
nothing to my name except as apickup truck that was paid off,
that I drove all through collegeand I was training at I think I
told you my background was, youknow, I was master trainer at
Lifetime, to name a few, laFitness, like the big,
well-known corporate big boxgyms, and I would often get
asked hey, benji, the objectionsor the limitations of trying to
(13:41):
meet me at the gym was becomingjust very much an obstacle,
especially for 30, 40-year-oldbusy mom or working professional
who just doesn't have time.
And so they're like can youjust come to my home?
And so I remember I was likesure I don't know what, I'll
make it happen.
So I had just accumulated a lotof this personal fitness
(14:01):
equipment.
Everything was transportable.
So TRX straps, barbells, freeweights, yoga mat, and you can
do a lot with very minimalequipment.
I think people kind of get intheir head thinking I need all
these things to get a workout in.
Sometimes, limiting yourself tojust doing a workout with very
minimal weight, you can actuallyget one of the best workouts,
(14:22):
and so our sessions are 45minutes long, so it makes it
super easy for someone to fitexercise into their busy lives.
And so I was just trainingpeople in their driveways, in
their garage and it eventuallybecame a thing.
You know, word of mouth,everything was kind of my
reputation of me coming topeople's homes became a very
much a big thing.
(14:42):
So I ended up wrapping my truck.
I don't recommend doing that.
It was pretty expensive.
But I eventually downsized to amidsize cargo van because, you
know, because gas prices wereskyrocketing and it was driving
a pickup truck probably wasn'tthe most viable option.
I have a mobile businessvehicle that I go to and
(15:04):
basically bring the gym topeople's homes.
Creating that experience helpssave people time, so there's no
traveling required and it allowsmore of a private, fully
customized experience.
So obviously with in-hometraining there is some
differences.
Right, you do have to be moreadapted to your environment.
You know you're not going tohave access to a smith machine
(15:26):
or a leg press machine, so youdo have to kind of get outside
your box, but it can definitelybe beneficial for someone who
does not like the whole gymsetting crowding, crowdedness,
waiting on a machine.
It could just eat up onpeople's time, and so that's
really what you're giving peopleis allowing them to get results
with less time, and, in anutshell, that's kind of how it
(15:47):
came about.
Eventually, I started hiringtrainers, because it's hard to
be everywhere and serveeverybody if you're going to
different communities.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that, because Houston
is such a sprawling area, therewhere you are, do you have to
limit your territory, or do youhave different employees in
different parts of the Houstonmetro area, or how does that
work?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, so initially I just kind of started out in my
own area where I was living.
I live in Sugar Land, which isthe suburbs of Houston.
It's about 30 minutes Southwestof Houston.
So that's where I lived andthat's really really where I
started to kind of build up myclientele.
Eventually I started kind of Ikind of got a big map and I
(16:30):
started to kind of route breakroutes of where people were were
coming from.
So I would say I was kind ofsticking within 10 to 15 miles
of a radius around that locationand then eventually I started
to kind of look at the more ofthe affluent suburban areas and
started to kind of tap intothose communities with different
(16:53):
marketing strategies that wewere doing Postcards is good for
homeowners, networking withrealtors and then, once I
started to kind of build up moreclients in those areas is when
we started bringing on trainersunder us.
Now our trainers are independentcontractors.
They're not really they're notemployees of ours.
So they do have the freedom tobe able to service their own
(17:15):
clients, but they do representus when they're going out to the
clients that they're assignedto.
And so we try to stick to acertain areas that we target.
We don't cover all of Houston.
It would be tough and it wouldprobably take us almost an hour
to get to each client.
So we have to be kind of alittle bit more strategic.
So we kind of stick to more ofthe West Houston area and we
(17:37):
cover other areas in KatyFulcher, which is another big
community.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
So how many clients do you have and how many
trainers do you have?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
So right now we have about close to 50 clients and we
have five trainers, notincluding me.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
And what's the goal for clients and trainers?
Speaker 1 (17:56):
So the goal is to make each trainer as busy as
they want to be.
We have two out of the fivetrainers we have are almost at
full capacity.
I mean they're pretty muchalmost filled.
They basically just tell us thehours that they are available
and we fill their schedule withclients.
If they are content and justbeing a part-time trainer,
that's totally fine too.
(18:17):
There obviously are ways togrow and we have big goals in
our business to continue toreach our quota and where we
want to go.
So if we see that there's anopportunity to invest in a
trainer, we may even have themstart helping us with networking
and marketing and advertisingfor our business.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
What are the goals for the business?
How big do you want this to get?
Speaker 1 (18:39):
I would love to just get to a point where because
I've actually been trying tosort of offload some of my
clients to our trainers so thatI could have a little bit more
time and I think tapping intothis market makes more sense
given the stage in life that I'mgoing to be in as a new father
and with a little one.
So when I was starting out Iwas working 60 hours a week,
(19:01):
growing my business, trainingclients from early in the
morning to coming home late atnight, and you just can't keep
that.
It's just not sustainable as atrainer.
I think trainers get reallylike fizzled out, and another
thing that I learned with the 50plus adults is that they don't
want to train in late in theevening.
They want to get their sessionand their workouts in when they
(19:23):
can, early in the day so theycan go to work or do whatever
they want.
So that actually makes moresense for me If I can be
training a handful of clientsthat I really love working with
in the mornings, have the restof the afternoon, just kind of
oversee the business, see howthings are running, managing the
rest of the trainers,networking.
That's kind of the goal for mepersonally and I guess from a
(19:44):
business standpoint right now,because we just started to kind
of the goal for me personallyand I guess from a business
standpoint right now because wejust started to kind of
introduce h strong fitness.
We have a few clients obviouslythat are specifically h strong
clients.
Probably double the the numberof clients that we have and to
eventually to where I don't know, sky's the limit we may end up
having maybe a small boutiquestyle studio and maybe do small
(20:07):
group classes for that communityor hey.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Are you a fitness professional trying to grow your
business with people over 50?
If you are, then you need toknow how to communicate with
them, how to market to them andhow to get them to trust you
with their fitness, well-beingand money.
We're talking about millions ofpeople who are a little older
than the typical market that thefitness industry usually
pursues.
They have more money, more timeand better motivation to make
(20:34):
the best long-term fitnessconsumers you'll find anywhere.
If you're not focusing on them,you should be.
Prime Fit Content is the onlycontent marketing company
designed specifically to helpyou engage people in this group
and to help you distinguishyourself from competitors in
your community.
It's effective, affordable andsuper easy to use.
Check it out atprimethitcontentcom.
(20:57):
That's prime like prime of yourlife.
Fitcontentcom.
Back to the show.
Sky's the limit with thismarket.
It really is.
Tell us and I'm asking, I guess,for those folks out there who
might be thinking about the samething, but also because it's an
important part of your storywhat have been the one or two
big challenges that you've hadin training people over 50 in
(21:20):
their homes either doing it orplanning the routes or what have
you or in marketing it andgetting people behind you.
I really like what you saidabout engaging realtors.
That's very smart.
A lot of gym owners do all oftheir marketing online and it's
really smart to go out into thereal world like you've been
doing.
So tell us.
(21:40):
I'm just curious what a coupleof challenges have been for you.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
I think just to write off a few challenges and then
obviously I'll kind of touch onsome of the marketing strategies
that can work is.
The challenge, I think, isequipment is that oftentimes,
because you're not going,they're not, they're not in a
gym.
Trying to convince someone thatthey don't necessarily need to
go to the gym to get a workoutin, or having strategies in
place to make them feel likethey can just use their own body
(22:06):
weight or use resistant bands,free weights or even household
items that they have lyingaround the house to allow them
to stay moving, is one space youknow you're dealing with.
Not every home has the fullsetup of a workout, so adapting
your workouts to whatever spacethat your clients may have or
may not have can be huge.
(22:27):
I mean, now, I think oftentimesyou walk into a home now and
most people usually have like ahome gym.
You know, I think after COVIDthat was probably one of the
benefits that came out of it waspeople were buying book fitness
equipment left and right andthen thinking they were going to
use it and then end up justcollecting dust.
And then I think the mindsetshift is another challenge,
(22:48):
because I think 50 plus adultsthey sort of believe that they
can't make real progress.
It's not about losing weight.
Yes, if they lose weight,that's always a bonus, but
overcoming their mental barriersis a huge part of coaching.
You have to have a lot ofpatience and understanding,
which I think takes a lot out ofa trainer, and this is
something that you just don'tsee.
(23:09):
Nothing against gyms, but Ijust think there's certain
expertise and experiences thatcome with working with 50 plus
adults.
So I think that that's probablyone of the main challenges is
the mindset shift.
What is the outcome, what isthe goal here?
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I think part of the problem.
You know I'm in thisdemographic I'm 61.
So I think I can relate to alot of the people you might be
thinking about, because they'remy peers and when we were
growing up, the only reasonanybody went to the gym was a
boy who wanted big muscles.
You know it was mostly guysdoing it and you know it was
(23:47):
just who wants muscles.
I don't want muscles.
It's kind of weird.
It wasn't a part of life yet itwasn't a part of our awareness
about exercise and fitness, andso I think a lot of people
associated with being young andwith being kind of a weird
little hobby to get big musclesback then, and maybe now it's
(24:09):
been really sexualized.
You know that being fit meanshaving a sexy body and I don't
know, I don't think we've done areally good job telling people
that being strong and havingsome endurance and some agility
will, as you were saying, letthem live the life they want to
live for a longer time.
Right, it doesn't have anythingto do with six-pack abs or how
(24:30):
sexy you are at the beach.
It has to do with quality oflife.
So that's my challenge as acommunicator in all of this,
right?
Speaker 1 (24:37):
You definitely hit the nail right on the head.
That's so true.
I remember growing up in your20s that was the thing was going
to the gym.
It was sort of more of like ahangout spot.
You know, now it's becomingmore of like gym culture.
People like going to the gymsbecause of the vibe, the
experience, but it's not goingto really.
I don't think it's really goingto jive well with someone in
their 50s who, you know, it canreally kind of affect their
(25:01):
mindset as to what they want Ithink a gym can be really a
positive setting for people inthis demographic if it gives
them a place where they're heldaccountable.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
They've got friends, they've got peers, they've got
maybe a trainer or a person wholeads their small group training
, something like that, who willnotice if they don't show up, or
who will challenge them and saycome on, ed, you can do better
than that, because that'simportant for everybody, let
alone for people who are alittle bit older and maybe just
(25:32):
deconditioned.
So I think a gym can be reallygreat, but not every gym and not
for everybody.
I think it's wonderful whatyou're doing.
My mother died about a year anda half ago.
She was 87.
She lived alone the last fewyears because her husband died
about five years before she didso she had about five years
there where she was in this bighouse by herself, and by then
(25:53):
she had begun to have someissues where her mobility was
limited and she had no enduranceand that kind of thing.
And I tried to find someone inher little town in tennessee to
do what you're doing and therejust there wasn't anyone.
She couldn't go to the gym.
She couldn't, you know, go.
But she would have beenopen-minded had, had I been able
to find someone like you so.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Well, I'm definitely sorry to hear that.
It only just makes me, I guess,just appreciative of the fact
that what we're doing, you know,just have just having a deeper
connection with clients and justhelping them create, you know,
long-term trust and consistency.
Like you said, accountabilityis having someone come to their
homes.
I mean, what's more accountable?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think it's great.
Tell us maybe one or twoexamples of a success that you
had where you thought, yeah,this is the right thing to do,
this is going to work.
Or a challenge that youovercame and you thought, yeah,
that I can really learn a lotfrom this.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
It's hard to kind of pinpoint a specific success
story but I would say I haveseen clients regain strength,
improve balance, buildconfidence.
I think one client I think if Iwas to that one that stands out
it was actually my oldestclient I've ever trained and he
was 92, going on 93.
And he had a little scooterthat he would get that he rode
(27:07):
around in.
He had a lot of neurologicalissues going on so it was
affecting his ability to moveand he just kind of just had
this desperation in his eyes andjust telling me that he's just
tired of being a couch potato.
Those were his words and hejust felt like he just didn't
want to waste away.
He wanted to do.
He wasn't looking for a miracle, but he just wanted to.
(27:29):
He had very limited mobilityand after training, with working
with him and I mean there wasthings that he was doing that he
had no, he never would haveimagined being able to do a
pull-up with using trx straps.
Now he moves with ease and andhe's able to enjoy activities
that he once once strugglingwith.
(27:50):
So I mean just talking about itreally like it just kind of
reminds me of like the thingsthat we do impact people's lives
in such a way that that's whatit's all about.
It's not.
I mean, yeah, it's always niceto have a business to serve
people, but it's also, you know,just people coming to you and
just telling you how much thatyou've impacted in their lives
(28:10):
and how much they appreciate it.
It's just a great thing.
I would just say to any trainerthat's trying to figure out
where to start, or just focus inyour passion for wanting to
help people.
Just know that progress.
It can be slower at times, butthe results are life-changing.
That's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
I mentioned you're networking with realtors and you
mentioned before we startedrecording that you recently
spoke at slower at times, butthe results are life-changing.
That's beautiful.
I mentioned you're networkingwith realtors and you mentioned
before we started recording thatyou recently spoke at Chamber
of Commerce or something.
What was that about it?
This getting out there andsharing the word in real life
Super important.
Tell us about that.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Well, I've done a couple of presentations so far.
Beginning of this year, januarywas Better Health Month, and so
I'm very proud to say I was amember of a business networking
group in our area and so I was afeatured speaker.
So I did a 10-minutepresentation.
It was all about healthy, likefunctional movements for healthy
(29:01):
aging.
I also spoke about nutritionand some of the three common
concerns to another senior groupat a non-profit.
We do group classes for them,so every once a month I'll go in
and talk about a differenttopic.
But yeah, it was really great.
I really touched.
I touched on quality versusquantity and I think that spoke
(29:23):
to a lot of people.
It's like kind of asking thequestion is, if you were given
the choice between five, you youwere guaranteed to live five to
ten years with like no chronicissues.
You know you were able to livevibrantly versus living 20 to 30
years, but those those yearswere filled with all these
(29:47):
issues that can happen, you know, getting to that disability
threshold.
Which would you choose?
Quality versus quantity?
And then kind of touching onwell, the good news is that you
don't have to choose, becausequality and quantity equal
functional longevity, and so Ithink that kind of spoke to a
lot of people and I think thatjust going back to that mindset
shift is that a lot of peoplejust don't think no one's really
(30:07):
, I guess, connected to them inthat way.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah, that's true.
I think you're right.
That's our challenge andgetting the word out there to
the market.
Now you've got a free e-bookpeople can get.
I want you to tell people aboutthat.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
And I want you to tell people, if they want to get
a hold of you or learn moreabout you, where can they go
online to do that?
Yeah, so we have a free ebookageless fitness.
It's packed with strategies onhow to make the next 50 years
better, so a lot, of, a lot ofgreat tips in that book that we
can I love to share witheverybody.
We're also trying to continueto grow our face, our private
Facebook group, the A-Team,which is a free group where
people can connect and get morefree resources to us.
(30:54):
You can visit our website Rightnow it's currently
BenefitnessNowcom or you canfind us on Facebook, instagram.
And then, yeah, just a specialoffer to all your podcast
listeners Anyone that mentionsOptimal Ag aging, they get a
free consult and a mobilityassessment.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Well, that's a good incentive right there.
Thank you, benji.
I appreciate that and Iappreciate you coming on to tell
the folks about this reallyimportant work, and I want to
say congratulations again to youand Claudia on the impending
arrival.
That's wonderful news.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Yes, yes, we're very excited and yeah, just praying
for a healthy pregnancy, andjust that's all we can ask for.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yes, sir, all right.
Well, thanks again and we'lltalk soon.
Thank you for listening to theOptimal Aging Podcast.
I'm your host, jay Croft ofPrime Fit Content.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, review
and tell a friend.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, review
and tell a friend.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
I hope you'll share anycomments you have with me,
including suggestions aboutpeople I should interview and
(31:55):
topics I should cover.
You can learn more about mynewsletter and content business
at primefitcontentcom and writeme at jay at primefitcontentcom.
Again, thanks for listening.
Join me next time.
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