Every Wednesday afternoon (when the weather is decent) I get on my little bike: towards the Piramide in Bavel. One
times a week I “row in” there, press bench and may imitate a dead insect. In other words:
I do personal training at Helix, supervised by Dion. Must say: I do it with
fun!

Since age 35, I had taken up sports as a part-time working mother of 2 growing children in an always busy family. I was running 3 times a week. Swapped running for the throwing numbers of athletics after a few years. With the whole family, we were active in that athletics.

At 41, I unexpectedly found myself alone with 2 adolescents. Slowly but surely I no longer brought myself to exertion for a bit of relaxation; the sofa became my greatest friend after a day’s work. I was gradually approaching 50 and was trying to pick up running again. With Evy in my ears, I headed into the polder. But alas: every attempt was stranded.

The day before Christmas 2020, I got up with severe pain in my hip area. Hernia was suspected. The result was that until May 2021, I was allowed nothing, could do nothing and did nothing. Recovery didn’t advance anything either. Until Thijmen urged me to do exercise therapy, as he suspected an unwilling pelvis before. Twice a week I started working out carefully. I could actually do something again! Things got better and better, the symptoms receded into the background. The compensation of
my health insurance for the exercise therapy stopped. Thijmen and Bart just set up their PT event. Exercise therapy transitioned seamlessly into Personal Training. At Helix. With Dion.

As a 55-year-old, I could never really see myself going to boot camp in a hip sports outfit with a seasoned gym goer as my trainer. I felt too solid for that and (by now) too
little athlete. I didn’t exactly feel gym-worthy enough to be out among the Jerommekes wielding a barbell. But when I step into the Pyramid, the atmosphere feels low-profile. There is a program that can be set up for every age and sports level. I feel no embarrassment when I am rowing in, I feel no shame when I bench press. It doesn’t feel like it’s all too high up there for a non-sporting, middle-aged working woman. I do feel
challenge. I feel like Marie-José of 55 who is working out to stay in shape and keep a sense of exercise.

It feels nice to be guided by trainers who have a physio background. I myself am still a bit cautious when I think I feel another pain in my pelvis.
I don’t want to take another year off with barely being able to walk or stand. As soon as I feel a pain
reports, Dion immediately switches gears and adjusts the exercise. The training sessions with Dion
in addition to being strenuous, are also enjoyable. We chat about good food and about Formula One. There is laughter. All in all, for over a year and a half now, it’s made me find my fun in sports again while my unstable pelvis has strengthened.

I even sacrifice my cherished Saturday morning-in-bed-laughing moment to get up on time, put on gym clothes, spend an hour working on weights & machines and then come home with a nice starting feeling for the weekend.

I didn’t think I would have that feeling
And would still find that motivation again.
Marie-José (55)