“I’ve been experiencing back pain for six months or so, and it just seemed to be in the morning,” Jay said. “It was really difficult for me to get out of bed, to pull myself up and get on my feet in the morning. So when I had the chance to participate, I thought, ‘Great!’ It was the perfect opportunity to 1) test out the product so I could provide firsthand knowledge and testimonials to clients; and 2) hopefully relieve some back pain.”

Getting into the Swing of Things

Before participating in the program, addressing his pain and mobility posed two challenges for Jay: finding appropriate movements to improve his condition and staying consistent.

“I told myself at the beginning of the year that I needed to stretch more because I’m getting older and I didn’t want to continue having back pain,” he explained. “I just wasn’t disciplined enough and didn’t have the knowledge to do it. Having a coach and a routine to follow was great for me. I liked having the guidance and structure, especially when I understood what I was doing was specifically addressing my pain.”

Although the first week required him to incorporate the 15 minutes of exercise five times a week, Jay appreciated how the program offered so much flexibility. “Having the ability to do the exercises when and where I wanted was nice. I typically did the exercises in the morning, but if something came up I could easily adjust and do them at a later time, “ he said.

Personalized Programming

Having no previous experience with an MSK program, Jay said he expected the 12 weeks of programming to be the same for everyone. It was only after reaching Week 4 — when he noticed little to no pain in the morning — that he realized the weekly movements were tweaked to fit his specific needs at that point in time.

“At first I thought it was the same exercises for everyone, but as I worked with Amanda, and she understood how my pain affected me, she would adjust the following week’s exercises based on my progress and pain level,” he said.