Last night my trainer John Bolesta brought me up to the second floor of the tennis center at Saucon Valley Country Club. The club recently renovated the center to include two first-class floors for fitness: one for classes and free-weight exercise, and the other for circuit training.

I must admit this is where my threshold for exercise is tested. Just looking at this impressive display of equipment-12 state-of-the-art Nautilus machines-for circuit training, I feel incredibly overwhelmed and little bit intimidated. Thank goodness I am working with a trainer, as I have no idea how to even sit on most of these properly.

The Circuit Training Center at SVCC

As we make our way to the first machine, he signals for me to sit down. I signal back in wacky hand gestures that I have no idea how. He laughs. I find I really like working with a trainer. He keeps me focused and allows me to be silly. If I were on my own, by now I would have sat down and tried to pull weight that was way too much for me and I would have been using all the wrong body positions and muscles in the process.

Okay, so I have decided I will make a commitment to work on myself and I am at ground zero. My trainer John Bolesta has spent the first few days of this week accessing my fitness and diet issues, and explaining how core training is most efficient and effective when posture is optimized. (To say John is passionate about posture is like saying Paris Hilton enjoys shopping at Harry Winston.)

My inspiration...

Once I got the 4-1-1 on how he helped transform my friend Jamie, I had many questions for John. He was very careful to explain that while he did help her identify the kinks in her posture and addressed them with a specific set of exercises to help strengthen and straighten her spine, it was up to her to continuously address the posture issues in her daily life and routine. From this she would build a strong core and be better able to maintain her weight as she ages. She has also made many diet modifications to look this great, but nothing good is ever easy.

My trainer...

My assessment yielded that I actually have a slight curve in my spine that is causing me to look like I shift to one side. Ugh! I always knew that my shoulders came forward and I always hated that. I explained that I already do considerable cardio 4-5 times a week and wear weights when I run. While doing those two things correctly can definitely help one achieve a better body, doing them the wrong way, can be counterproductive to your quest for fitness. I have been doing them the wrong way. For someone like me with rounded shoulders and compromised posture, wearing weighs while treadmilling was only serving to “hunch me in” all the more and reinforcing the bad posture issues I have.

John works as a personal trainer at both Saucon Valley and Lehigh Country Clubs, and has spent years perfecting his method of training. Men and women golfers often come to John to improve their game by addressing their posture. (The best pro golfers in the world are noted for their great posture.) I took my first two sessions with him at Saucon Valley this week: one in a class setting and another one-on-one.

John also asked if he could come to my office to evaluate my workstation for posture no-no’s. It seems that all the work I am doing to re-align myself will go for naught if I continue to slump over my computer to work. (As I write this, I have had to correct my seated position four times, but at least I am aware of what I am doing to my body and correcting it. I can see there will come a day where this will just be automatic for me, but right now I really have to concentrate on it.) I needed to address some things at my workstation and add a footrest so that my knees are at the correct height in relation to my hips.

As the week continues, we will further address my diet with a nutritionist. For now, I am weeding out gluten. Wish me luck…

I had one of those experiences that most every girl can relate to a few weeks ago. I met a friend for dinner who I hadn’t seen in a while and was amazed how she had changed.

She looked phenomenal. Now I would never have described her as heavy by any stretch of the imagination, but I could tell she definitely had gone on some type of self-improvement regimen because she was leaner, toned, and even seemed taller to me. (And believe me, being 4′ 11″, I am conscious about height). She replied to my inquiry in a very relatable way, as well. “I am working with a trainer at the club.”

Well, of course, this made absolute sense. She looked as though she had been running for miles at a clip, doing a multitude of crunches, and living on celery sticks and protein shakes. But there was something else about her. She did not look exhausted, gaunt, or sallow. There was a glow to her skin and a twinkle in her eye.

Sometimes when people go on extreme regimens they have this running on empty look to them when they reach their goal weight. She did not have this look. I queried further.

Is it protein-based? Was there herbal therapy or colon cleansing involved? What about carbs? Did she swear off carbs? It turned out that is was none of these things as her story veered off from the typical, “Yes-I’m-working-with-a-trainer-five-times-a-week-and-he’s-got-me-on-the-diet-of-the-moment,” response.

She said she felt her trainer basically changed her life with a program that first addressed her physical fitness by correcting her posture. She explained she was also avoiding gluten and basically any wheat-based foods as part of her new approach to diet. I was intrigued, and before leaving she gave me his card saying that she would be happy to broker an introduction. I remember slipping the card into my Rolodex the next day.

I kept thinking about it though: about how my posture has always been an issue for me and how I’ve been looking to drop 10 pounds. I started thinking about the Nicole Miller dress I recently bought and about how much better I would look in it if I can accomplish what my friend had. I also thought about my mother and her struggle with Osteoporosis. That was what really convinced me to act.

I pulled out the business card and called my friend. Today, I hope to start transforming my life starting with my posture. Stayed tuned. I plan on documenting my progress here in my blog by creating a Better Posture, Better Body Journal. I hope you’ll follow along with me on this journey.