These days, when he travels for work, one of the first things Derik Belair looks for in a hotel is a quality gym.
In the six months since joining Free Form Fitness, the 44-year-old marketing executive has settled into a welcome routine of fitness, but it wasn’t always that way.
About six years ago, Derik herniated a disc in his back. Also called a slipped disc, this is a condition in which the rubber-like cushion between two vertebrae, called a disc, tears and its softer internal tissue bulges out. This can cause substantial pain and loss of mobility.
Until that point, Derik had always been physically active, with a healthy weight. But the injury and a busy work schedule took their toll. Over time, he gained more than 20 pounds.
“I did the physio and all that, but I never felt comfortable going back to the gym and training with weights,” he said. “Combine that with a lot work travel and my health just went off the rails. Most of the gyms I checked out didn’t focus on working with injury recovery.”
It was his physiotherapist who suggested he try FFF.
“When I came here, they spent a lot of time talking about my medical history, my goals, and tailoring a program around that,” Derik said.
Training three times a week with FFF’s Matt Uden and Nick Antal, Derik quickly learned the value of a shorter, more focused and more comprehensive workout that achieved as much or more than the old days when he would spend up to an hour-and-a-half at a time in the gym.
Most of all, he was impressed by the emphasis on flexibility and stretching, to help with pain management and restore his mobility.
“Since I started at FFF, I’ve had very few back-related issues,” Derik said. “When I have, the guys have been quick to adjust, with a lot of focus on stretching. They’ve been able to get me feeling strong again, and recuperate faster than if I tried to nurse myself.”
They also coached Derik on his nutrition habits.
“I had a tendency to skip breakfast, drink a lot of coffee, go out for lunch, snack, then have a big dinner,” Derik said.
He was skeptical at first about the benefits of eating on a more consistent schedule of five meals a day, low in carbs and high in protein, but the results soon spoke for themselves.
Six months later, Derik has lost 22 pounds. He’s back in the healthy weight range of his 30s.
Working toward fresh milestones keep him motivated, like trying to bench his bodyweight. He can now run five km and is working toward 10 km.
When Derik travels for work, he makes certain to have the guys give him a workout routine he can use in the hotel gym. Even when he went sailing for two weeks, they gave him a simple workout he could do while at sea.
“I’ve gained a lot more strength, a lot more endurance,” Derik said. “I’m not huffing and puffing now when I carry the groceries or go for walks. When I was heavier, it was tough.”
