Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/943494
50 MARCH 2018 NORTHSHOREMAG.COM PHOTOGRAPH BY SARAH JORDAN McCAFFERY When many people hear the term "personal trainer," they picture someone pushing clients at the gym to lift more weights, run a little faster, or stretch a little deeper. ey might not picture someone who helps her clients organize their mobile cal- endar or teaches them about mindful eating. But that's exactly the kind of thing that North Andover–based health coach Lisa Swanson, owner of Body & Soul Coaching and founder of Fit After 50 online group coaching, does for clients who need it. ing as an instructor and manager at large clubs, owning franchises throughout the area, and working as a personal trainer—Swanson de- cided that she wanted to provide more person- alized one-on-one coaching. "I take pride in be- ing able to teach people," she says. "I don't just want to motivate people and be a cheerleader." It was also important to Swanson to pro- vide coaching to people with needs similar to her own. Swanson is 57 years old and says that so often, personal trainers—who are frequent- ly much younger than their clients who are 50 and older—don't really understand what older adults are going through in their lives, both physically and mentally. Older adults want to get or stay in shape, increase their energy, avoid injuries, and stay active and independent. Swanson loves being able to help people, and says she's "fascinated about how much control we actually have over our own health and our bodies." Her customizable, exible programs are available via in-person sessions at Swanson's North Andover studio, as well as virtual ses- sions and email support. "e online coaching is fantastic; I love it," Swanson says, adding that it provides a way for clients to have more access to her and their program resources. "It's really hard to get results when you're struggling to see a trainer twice a week or three times a week and nothing in between." Clients also have access to online tools such as a private client portal with a workout and nutrition journal, messaging capabilities, and how-to videos for every exercise. ose tools are also available via an accompanying app. Clients can even video themselves doing an exercise at home and share it with Swan- son to ensure proper form. e online element is just one of the ways that Swanson is conscious of people's time. "I typically write up workouts that don't take more than 30 minutes, and they're ecient and they can do them at home," she says. At the heart of Swanson's approach to t- ness and wellness are programs that combine tness, nutrition, and mindset. "You need the three-pronged approach," says Swanson, who has the training to incorporate all three into her programs. She's an ACE(American Council on Exercise)certied health coach, BODY & SOUL Lisa Swanson provides busy North Shore clients with personalized, one-on-one coaching for the body and mind. By Alexandra Pecci She describes one busy client whose high- stress job and disorganized routine were road- blocks to wellness. "It was a matter of teaching him how to organize his calendar," she says, adding that she also taught him and his wife how to sync their Google calendars and set aside time to review their calendars each week. She also encouraged him to take ve-minute breaks during the workday and to involve their children in meal planning. "It's really helping," she says. "It all ends up falling into place." After decades in the tness industry—work- / L I V E + P L AY / Lisa Swanson takes a holistic approach to fitness.