Having to leave behind physical activities that you love as you age is something people have accepted over the years. But it doesn’t have to be everyone’s reality. Whether you’re looking to get your golf swing back, shed extra pounds or maintain a healthy lifestyle, Fluid Health & Fitness works with clients to find ways to help them feel their best.
Owner Ryan Maxwell says at Fluid Health & Fitness, the way you move matters. The first step is looking for movement distortions. “Movement distortions are basically irregularities in the way that the joints are supposed to move because the body has taken some kind of compensation or substitution pattern because the areas have been overworked in one particular movement,” Maxwell says. The distortion begins when the body tries to protect itself by creating an alternative movement. This causes a distortion in the joints. The assessment process first looks to see if a client can hold a joint without moving and if they are creating a different movement pattern. Afterward, they move on to see if there’s another joint that may be causing the pain. Because everything in the body is connected, a pain in your shoulder may be caused by a completely different joint. “Our program seeks to look at how these relationships work together to create those dysfunctional patterns,” Maxwell says. “And then we clean them up at the origin, individuals can progress and develop to their state of optimal physical best.” This is when clients are ready for the individual workouts with personal trainers and group classes offered by Fluid Health & Fitness.
Nutrition also plays a role in making sure your body is well maintained. “It’s one thing to teach people how to move efficiently and to correct these imbalances that might be present,” Maxwell says. “But if you’re eating poor foods or foods that are creating more inflammation, then it’s going to be very hard for your muscles to heal and recover and to basically reset themselves the way we want them to.” Fluid Heath & Fitness offers a unique nutrition plan that focuses on incorporating whole foods into the diet and removing foods with carcinogens and preservatives. Instead of focusing on counting calories, the key is to break down how many carbohydrates, proteins and fats are needed to make the body function properly. Everyone who joins meets with a dietician and sets up their own personal nutrition plan, whether you’re looking to lose weight or just maintain a healthy lifestyle. “We set a healthy deficit and we help them week by week by giving them modules that help reinforce positive behaviors,” Maxwell says. The modules provide goals to work toward or outlines around one particular nutrition topic that educates clients and helps them adopt positive changes.
Maxwell has learned over the years that there’s not just one thing that has to change for a healthy lifestyle—it’s a mix of several things. “It’s not just nutrition. It’s not just exercise. It’s not just strength. It’s not just behavior and emotional support. It’s all of it,” Maxwell explains. The inclusive center offers several programs including corporate, individual and virtual.
We spoke to some of the staff at Fluid Health & Fitness to figure out how they play a part in creating a healthy lifestyle for their clients.
Movement Specialists
What is a movement specialist?
A movement specialist identifies the distortion and finds the best way to correct the movement. They guide each client in an individual or group environment appropriate for them and work toward strengthening the weakness.
Reed Hermanson
has been a movement specialist for over four years. He received a bachelor of science from St. Cloud State University and his personal fitness certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He wants to help people remove their fear of the gym by helping them find a way to make it work for them.
Favorite thing about being a movement specialist:
“The best part about being a movement specialist is seeing the reaction our clients have when they start feeling good again. ‘The Pain Is Gone!’ I will never get tired of hearing those words coming from a client.”
Russ Davies
Starting in global medical device manufacturing, Davies found himself making unhealthy choices when working long hours. After a health issue caused him to re-evaluate his life, he made the choice to help others make healthier choices. Receiving his fitness certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, he is a great addition to the Fluid Health & Fitness family.
Favorite thing about being a movement specialist: “Seeing the results that people can achieve. The programs are in 12-week blocks starting at ‘foundation’ through ‘optimize’ and ‘ideal’ and it is remarkable to see the progress as people work through these stages.”
Carly Schroepfer
coached girl’s tennis when she was younger. After retiring, she wanted to get back into the world of fitness. She received her personal training certificate from St. Paul College and her personal fitness certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Favorite thing about being a movement specialist: “I can help my baby boomers, make sure they have good posture for the rest of their lives. That’s really important.”
Dietician
What does a dietician do?
A dietitian’s main responsibility at Fluid Health & Fitness is meeting with clients and doing individual counseling. Every client gets a free 20-minute session with a dietician and has the option to sign up for a package that will continue that nutritional counseling.
Alea Lester
Physical fitness has always been a part of Lester’s life—from coaching competitive swimming and running to participating competitively in triathlons. Working in nutrition just made sense to her. She has a master’s of science in nutrition and has a bachelor’s of science in biology.
Favorite part about being a dietician: “I think being able to help inspire people and help them reach their goals, whatever those may be is really what, in the end, makes me want to keep doing this and keep working with people in this field.”
Computer Software Engineer
What does a Computer Software Engineer do?
Along with helping with the technical problems that may arise at work, computer software engineer Nick Lemke has created the entire membership portal that clients use to update their information and track their progress.
Nick Lemke
is a student at Dunwoody Institute of Technology, studying software engineering. Choosing this career path because of his love of problem solving and being creative, he plays a big behind-the-scenes role that is essential to Fluid Health & Fitness.
Favorite part about being a computer software engineer: “I love seeing people use what I create. I love people actually using it and getting benefits out of it. And that they can actually use what I made to hopefully change their lives.”
Healthy Recipes from Alea Lester
Kale and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
10 leaves kale, cut into small pieces
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground sea salt
1 cup pecans
1 cup currants
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir quinoa into the boiling water, reduce heat to medium-low, place cover on the saucepan and cook until water absorbs into the quinoa, about 12 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes. Remove cover and allow quinoa to cool completely.
2. Put kale in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, pepper and salt together in a bowl until oil emulsifies into the mixture; drizzle over kale. Add cooled quinoa, pecans, currants and feta cheese to the dressed kale and toss to incorporate.
