Emily Cobb is a busy lawyer, mother, and wife, but she’s always made time to prioritize her physical fitness. That is, until March 2020, when the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed her routine.
A longtime runner who was previously on the board of a yoga nonprofit who worked out once or sometimes even twice a day, Emily found her lifestyle becoming more sedentary than it had ever been before. She stopped making exercising a priority and found herself in a bit of a rut when it came to meals, cooking the same foods week after week.
“I just needed to wake myself up and get myself back into the habit of exercising again,” Emily, 47, said.
Emily’s teenage son was becoming more independent, which gave her and her husband time for their own hobbies, like taking dance classes. But with a bit more time to herself, Emily realized she wasn’t feeling as strong or as healthy as she wanted to. She looked into a gym membership at HNH Fitness, where she learned about the 12-week Prescription for Wellness program. It includes a health assessment, personal training sessions, access to registered dietitians, a sleep consultation, and a membership to the gym.
Emily has high praise for Nutrition Outreach Manager Debbie Bessen.
Emily has Lyme disease, so she has always been conscious of what she eats. But working with Debbie gave her an even greater awareness of what is and isn’t as good for her unique makeup. Debbie sent Emily for a test that could identify the kinds of foods which are inflammatory for her. The results led Debbie to make some unexpected changes to her diet, like cutting soy and turmeric. She also noticed that the psoriasis she had recently developed improved once she started avoiding inflammatory foods.
When Emily first started working with her personal trainer, Norelis Duran, she couldn’t do a single push-up. Now she can do 50. Norelis was Emily’s “biggest cheerleader” when she participated in races, including one in which she won third place.
Today, Emily is down to her pre-Covid clothing size, doesn’t show any signs of psoriasis, and is back to running 5Ks with her friends. Through responsible weight training, the discomfort lingering from an age-old shoulder injury is also gone. Emily feels like she’s gained the tools, and the motivation, to stay healthy thanks to the HNH Fitness team.
“It’s such an educated approach to exercise, and it also takes into account that it’s not just about what you’re doing in the gym,” Emily explained. You can still catch her working out at the gym several days a week.
