PJ IS A master Trainer, based near Vancouver, Canada, who has provided on-line fitness classes for over 30 years, and is everything a Super-A should aspire to be. Our very own Editor, Wayne Leal, interviewed her and here is what she had to say.
Q: How did you get into fitness?
A: A girlfriend said I was bossy and would make a great trainer. I always enjoyed fitness to help me stay slim and trim from my early 20s. I took courses to teach group fitness while I was in college training to be an interior designer. I think I make a much better trainer than I would an interior designer!
I kept taking more courses and things started to fall into place. I really loved working with people. People in this business love to give and love to see the results. So now, 30-years later I have fully evolved online.
Q: What motivates you to stay fit?
A: Without sounding too corny – it’s my community. I have an online community of over 50 men and women and I see them going out and getting the work done, and I think, ‘ugh, ok, I’d better do it too.’ As soon as they put on their runners, that’s it – they are motivated enough to go for it. They lift me up and I lift them up.
Q: How do you think we can encourage more people to get into fitness?
A: If I had a quick answer to that, I would be up in Jeff Bezos’ stratosphere! The two things that I encourage people to do is start small, try not to make too many radical changes so start small without trying to change too many habits. Second is to have a good program to lean onto. A lot of people hop onto YouTube and try different videos here and there but that’s not going to help you to reach your goals and service you in the best way to make you want to keep going. Have a plan.
Q: How would you describe your style of fitness?
A: I think what I am known for the most is the ability to train all levels. I am well aware of how the over-40s body works, with hip or knee issues, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, so I make sure in my training that I offer alternatives so that a person can still get a good workout no matter what, and not just be told to march on the spot and pick up when you can.
Q: You had a TV show for a while?
A: Yes, local TV – ‘Fitness with PJ’, and we had about 6 or 7 years of doing that and I believe it is still accessible on demand here. That got me comfortable in front of the camera and then I launched my fitness channel on YouTube (‘Fitness with PJ’).
Q: I’m excited that we are going to be featuring 25:25 program. What can people expect from it and how did it come about?
A: It’s a challenge – 25-minute workouts that will get emailed to you each day for 25 days. It’s a full gamut of workouts with cardio, strength, mobility and flexibility as well as core, designed in such a way that you’re not breaking down the muscle, that you’re getting enough rest between each workout and that you get into a consistent workout pattern at home so you can continue after the 25 days.
The whole challenge came about because everybody was telling me they wanted shorter workouts and if you go shorter you don’t necessarily get the same results, so you just need to go at a little higher intensity. So, I decided to develop a program for people that were short on time with a few simple dumbbells and a chair.
We’ve had over 4000 women go through it and the results are amazing, but I don’t want them to think that its 25 days and then we’re done because it’s about establishing a habit so that they can see that they can keep it going.
Q: How old are you?
A: 51 and still in the same shape as I was in my 30s but just a little slower now.
Q: Isn’t that a great feeling – that you can still fit and wear the clothes you were wearing 30 years ago?
A: Yes, it is a great feeling and I love to see people’s faces too – oh, you’re in your 50s! But it doesn’t happen because I woke up like this, I have been working out consistently and trying to eat healthy and trying stress-busting techniques for most of my adult life and it is hard work, but it is worth it. I can move better – I move better than most 50-year-olds, and I am having a really good time. In my opinion, I am just starting with my career, and it’s just going to keep getting ramped up. I’d like to be the only trainer on YouTube in their 70s, I think that would be awesome.
To grab some info about the 25:25 challenge please head here:
https://bit.ly/FWPJ-2022
Tyler Garnham Photography
https://tylergarnham.com/
