Shortly after celebrating her 45th birthday last fall, north side resident Nicole Vidales took a look at her life and decided it was time to make a change. She ran across an offer for a package of three personal training sessions she’d received from Galter LifeCenter, and took it as a sign to take charge of her health. Today, she’s one of Galter LifeCenter’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders.
After completing the package of three sessions with Jessica, a personal trainer at Galter LifeCenter, Nicole was hooked. “I hadn’t been in a gym for more than five years,” Nicole said. “I’m overweight and in poor shape. I wanted to find tools I could use for every day of my life.” She immediately signed up for a 12-pack of sessions—to continue her Saturday sessions.
“I enjoy every moment I’m with Jessica,” Nicole said. “She’s patient, she listens to my concerns and she’s very observant. The lady knows her stuff.”
Under Jessica’s supervision, Nicole’s workout includes a combination of light weights, a fitness ball and a Power Plate; which Nicole finds particularly rewarding for working her legs and core. The Power Plate uses a weight-bearing platform that vibrates 25 to 50 times per second to engage muscles in a consistent, controlled way to accelerate training results. Nicole uses the machine with a variety of standing, leaning and floor exercises.
She also joined a weekly Adult Swim class to learn the different strokes and increase her strength and endurance. “The first time I swam in the pool, I was totally out of breath just getting from one end to the other,” she said. “My goal now is to swim a half mile without getting tired out, but I also like that I’m meeting nice people with common goals.”
In addition to her personal training sessions and weekly swim class, Nicole works out independently two days a week, utilizing treadmills, rowing machines and the various other pieces of equipment Jessica taught her to use in their sessions.
Beyond her weight loss goal, Nicole wants to grow stronger and healthier. “I have so many things to work on, and making sure I do all the exercises properly to prevent injury is very important to me,” Nicole said. “I’m working to create lifetime fitness through lifelong habits.”
Nicole has many reasons to build her strength: she works as a biologist for the state of Illinois testing water quality, spends her summers doing field work which frequently involves lifting 50-pound coolers and—most importantly—is a caretaker for her mother. “I can’t help her if I’m not strong,” she said.
Ultimately, she pursues fitness for herself. “It’s cool when you take the time to put yourself first,” she said. “You have to create that ‘me time’ for nobody else but you.”
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For more information on personal training services, contact Peter Marcy at 773-878-9936, ext. 3863, or email pmarcy@SwedishCovenant.org.