Jewish Community News

News: May 2008

81-year-old gains muscles and confidence through exercising

When 81-year-old Marian Witham lost her husband four years ago, followed by her mother two years later, she lost some of her interest in life.
    “It was a very painful and difficult time for me and I knew I had to just get back out there,” said Witham.
   Rather than join a movie or widowers group as some people do, Witham joined the APJCC and began exercising with personal trainer Stephanie Torres. The experience was a new one.  Not only had Witham never worked out with a trainer before,  she had never exercised in a gym.
     The payoff came quickly.  “For the first time in at least 15 years I was able to reach behind my back,” she said. “That may not seem like much, but it meant a lot to me.”
     Witham says the other immediate benefit of training with Torres was the reminders to always breathe.
     “Last week I had a big scare and had to go in to the doctor’s office to have a bit of cancer removed from my nose. The whole morning was one of the most painful and anxiety producing times that I had ever experienced,” said Witham. “Sitting there I closed my eyes and remembered what Stephanie had taught me about going inside and connecting with myself. I began to breathe and feel better.”
     Witham recalls  the doctors and nurses thought she was  meditating or doing yoga. “It was so much easier to go through that experience remembering to keep breathing,” Witham said.
   Trainer Stephanie Torres recalls how Witham would always hold her breathe when she tried to lift a weight or do a difficult stretch. No longer.
    Witham says she has also gained self confidence.
    “I used to feel bad about my body and then there I was in the locker room with all of these other women in every shape and size and I thought, “I’m not so bad,” said Witham.