Casa London: When did you turn your attention to personal training?
Michelle: I got more into personal training on a serious level in 2006. I was diagnosed with early onset osteoporosis and what ended up happening is that it could possibly be tied back to a birth control I had taken when I was younger. They told me at the time that I had the bones of a 65-year-old woman.
Casa London: What sort of treatment is there? Is there any way to reverse that process?
Michelle: You can maintain the level, but it is impossible to increase your bone density – I have been successful in strengthening my hip, but my spine keeps declining. The best treatment was to do more weight bearing exercises – so that’s when I started going a lot heavier and doing a lot of research into how exercise affects your bone density. That is when I went and got my certifications and got qualified as a personal trainer.
Casa London: How did getting diagnosed with breast cancer affect the business? Did you have to have chemo?
This isn’t the only health i that Michelle has had to overcome, she blew out her back when giving birth to her daughter and isn’t a candidate for any form of surgery.
Michelle: I’ve been told I need to learn how to live with it, so that’s what I am doing. Needless to say this all created my lifestyle for me, because at this point I have no choice but to maintain heavy weight bearing exercises from now until forever. I’ll be 85 and still pumping weights — if you want to keep moving you have to hit the gym!
I make sure I explain that there are no limitations on that sort of thing, it is all about baby steps. I get clients whose doctor has told them they will “never squat again” and people really take that to heart.
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