Friendly and fit could describe personal trainer, Meg Fukami, and yet there is more to this capable woman that her clients have come to know and accept as caring. Meg Fukami takes great interest and pride in enabling people to accept that their goal, of wanting to remain vital mentally and physically, is attainable. This is especially true for older adults – a large percentage of our local population.
“Exercising is meant to be enjoyable, and both physical and mental states are elevated through it. When I exercise and train with seniors, I focus on their range of motion and how they function. I also determine their cardiovascular fitness, and many times request medical clearance so that I can train them safely and avoid [exacerbating] any physical conditions they may have,” she said recently.
Sessions start with gentle stretching to increase body temperature and to increase blood flow to muscles and joints. Meg asks that people not hold their breath, as a constant supply of oxygen is a key component when exercising. Most of the exercises she does with seniors are done in the standing position, and the focus on performing them correctly by using the right muscle groups is both helpful and necessary. Correct form is accompanied by correct breathing, and the results are increased mobility, better balance, the raising and lowering of arms without pain and the feeling of being younger through these achievements.
In-home exercise sessions are another added benefit for older adults. Meg brings with her small and effective exercise equipment designed to be easily used within anyone’s home or apartment. She feels that most people are very comfortable in their own home and this makes her efforts to design an individual exercise program more successful. “I work with the body as a whole and strengthen the weak areas while conditioning the stronger ones as well,” she added.
For the past 12 years Meg Fukami has been a certified personal trainer. She continues to attend workshops to increase her knowledge of geriatric exercise, stretching, postural assessment, and knee, hip and shoulder dysfunction. She, herself, is model of physical and mental fitness and describes her own personal training as, “daily and intense because of a love for being healthy.” For her and for those people she helps through exercise, mind, body and spirit all come together in the form of improved life quality through improved mobility and peace of mind.
Meg Fukami offers complimentary in-person consultations, and for those older adults wanting to exercise with a friend, she can accommodate them, as long both people are at a similar fitness level. “Quality of life can be improved regardless of one’s age or health condition with proper instruction, guidance and positive reinforcement. A happy body makes for a happy life at any age,” she said, in closing.
Meg Fukami can be reached at (914) 689-1300 or megstrufit@gmail.com
