Nova Spotlight: Ellen Pearce
Nova Health Club • August 12, 2019
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born in Victoria B.C, and throughout my life moved to Vancouver, Toronto, back to Victoria, and ultimately ended up in Oakville where I’ve resided for 30 years.
Prior to having children, I worked in regional planning and at a demographics firm. I play golf three times a week, tennis three times a week and walk whenever I can. I am also captain of my tennis team, golf captain and, a volunteer at the Oakville Hospital.
I’ve been married to my husband for 37 years and have four grown children and one grandchild (so far). My husband also enjoys staying fit and playing golf so to fill the long cold months in Ontario, we spend up to 180 days a year at our place in Florida. My main objective is to get some form of exercise every single day. Of course, I have the odd travel or sick day but because I plan to do something each day, I never feel guilty about the odd day I miss.
How long have you been training with Nova Health Club coaches and why have you stayed with them for that long?
I have been training for seven years at Nova. I went to another trainer before I started at Nova and felt like I was treated like an old person. I was never pushed to do a bit more, never asked what my goals were and in fact, I don’t think he cared about the job or what I was trying to accomplish.
I began going to Nova on a friend’s recommendation. I was skeptical at first, afraid that they wouldn’t know what they were doing and I would get injured. That is so far from that truth!
Over the years I have come to see that the trainers are true pros at their craft. They keep scrupulous records and I have never been asked to do something that I might consider to be risky or dangerous. The trainers also respect my requests. For example, I told them that when I run the stairs, I will always keep a hand on the handrail, and it was never an issue.
How have your goals changed over this time and how did your sessions at Nova adapt to your changing goals?
When I first started coming to Nova, it was more about how I looked. I was playing quite a bit of tennis but all that repetitive motion was starting to cause a number of aches and pains.
At that point, it never crossed my mind I could actually win anything in sport. As we proceeded down the fitness trail, I have learned how to pace myself, what my strengths and limitations are and how to use them to achieve some athletic goals. I have also come to realize that if I am going to compete in any activities that I enjoy, I need to show up ready to play every time, not say well maybe I will do better next week.
Has there been any health or injury adversity over this time and how did you manage through them?
I learned many years that the best way for me to deal with day-to-day stress is to focus on a sport that takes your mind off it for a few hours a week. For me that was tennis. Somehow, that hour and a half of hitting tennis balls, put other issues back into perspective. In addition, my teammates were all so kind and supportive.
From a physical standpoint, I have had many minor (and one major) health issues. I’ve had tons of minor aches and pains. Wrists, knees, upper arms, legs, neck (the list is endless). Some of these caused by the repetitive nature of golf and tennis, others from sitting in a car or on a plane for too long. Regardless, I have been able to work through all of these ailments with the aid of the trainers at Nova. Interestingly, all these minor ailments have been alleviated within 2-3 weeks of training at Nova.
I am amazed that in virtually every instance, after about three weeks of pain, it disappears! I think we accomplish this by building up supporting muscles in joints and stretching. However we do it, I am forever grateful!
My major health issue was pneumonia in 2018. I was in Florida and was pretty much out of commission from the beginning of February until I returned back to Oakville in mid-April. I told the trainers to start where I began to build my strength up again. The unexpected outcome of this was that not only did I gain back strength I gained a ton of confidence. I don’t think I would be nearly as active today if we hadn’t worked bit by bit back up the fitness ladder.
What do health and wellness mean to you?
This is a bit cliche but "if you don’t have your health you don’t have anything".
Why are health and wellness important to you?
I didn’t do any sports as a child but always wanted to. I began going to group fitness classes when I was in my early 20s and we lived in Vancouver and have continued to participate in some type of physical activity regularly since then. The activity really helps me deal with the day to day stress of life. Over the years working out has evolved from how I look, to how I feel.
Other than improved fitness, how has the training at Nova improved your life outside of the sessions (personally and in sports)?
I’m not a flexible individual when it comes to fitness. A physiotherapist once told me to never do yoga because I was a bad mix of not being flexible and competitive. I took what she said to heart.
Having said that, training at Nova, I’ve been able to address my flexibility limitations and develop my strengths. We are what we are but that shouldn’t stop us from doing what we love. My workouts have taught me my potential and my limits. I know when I am on the golf course or tennis court on a very hot day in a competition, how much gas I have left in the tank. I often see my opponents fading. Knowing what my body can handle is huge in these situations.
Over the years you have worked with many different coaches. Can you describe some of the benefits you have experienced by being with different coaches at Nova?
Firstly, it’s really fun to get to know them all. They are all so different! Also, I think it is critical for people as they get older to have people in their lives who are younger than they are. It builds a feeling of community and gives me a fresh perspective on life.
What are your key motivations?
I want to stay functional by staying as physically active as possible. I know that when I don’t work out, I tend to seize up. I’m certainly not perfect in my quest for health and wellness but I set little goals and try to meet them. I have come to learn that even on days when I don’t feel much like working out, showing up and getting the blood flowing ALWAYS makes me feel better.
What other practices or philosophies do you follow in your life that contribute to your health and wellness?
I think that as we age it is absolutely imperative we continue to try to do things outside of our comfort zone. I often hear my peers saying things like “I don’t drive on the highway”, or “I don’t like seafood”. Trying new things keeps you young at heart.
The same concept applies to activities. Why not try something you have never done before. Our society now has lots of programs geared to older clientele. There is so much physically, mentally and socially to be gained from trying something new!
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Do Hard Things Now, So Life Becomes Easier Later Modern humans default to the easy way but it's not our fault... Throughout human history, we were wired to survive constant hardship - scarcity of food, threats from predators, harsh environments and manual labor for everything. Our DNA evolved for survival in these conditions, not for modern living. Imagine an early human stumbling across a fruit tree. It made sense to gorge - there was no telling when the next meal would come. The human who gorged had a higher chance of survival than the human who only ate a few pieces of fruit. Practicing self-control in an environment of scarcity would have been a death sentence. Likewise, if given a chance to rest instead of walking miles or hunting, rest was the obvious choice. The problem? Our genes haven’t caught up with modern life. Today, food is everywhere. We don’t have to fight to meet our basic needs. Technology does the heavy lifting, cars replace walking, entertainment is on-demand and calorie-dense foods are always within reach. Left unchecked, our instincts will always lean toward easy options like overeating unhealthy foods (that are so easily accessible) or driving to the store instead of walking. In other words, we’re still hardwired to take the path of least resistance. But here’s the catch: Choosing easy now often means a harder life later and choosing hard now often means an easier life later. Most modern humans are overweight, stressed, tired and dealing with chronic health problems because we’re following outdated survival programming that no longer serves us. It’s time to become aware of these defaults. To override them. To consciously choose the hard thing - because doing hard things is what actually makes life easier in the long run. Hard things like: Going to bed on time instead of watching another episode Preparing a healthy meal instead of grabbing fast food Moving your body instead of sitting all day Walking or biking to the store instead of driving Managing stress with deep breaths and fresh air instead of pouring a drink Looking at your habits instead of masking symptoms with medication It might feel uncomfortable because it goes against everything your biological programming is urging you to do. But that’s exactly why it matters. Don’t think of it as punishment or sacrifice. Think of it as an investment. Every time you take the stairs instead of the elevator, cook instead of order out, or put your phone down to truly rest, you’re building a life that’s easier, richer, and more fulfilling down the road. And remember: Do easy things, and you’ll have a hard life. Do hard things, and you’ll have an easy life. Most of the above information is probably not new to you. That’s because we live in the information age with the internet and now AI - we already know what it is we need to do. The problem however is implementation. This is where having a customized plan and accountability comes in. If you know the hard things you need to do more of but struggle with breaking past your ‘default mode’ then contact us for a complimentary consultation HERE .
Congratulations to Sonya Jeyaseelan, Our July 2025 SuperNova!
Congratulations to Liz Belford, Our June SuperNova!
We are back with our second series of 'Pod Calls' available exclusively to our Nova Health Club members. Don't miss these unique sessions to help you level up your health and wellness game! What is a Pod Call? A Pod Call is a live online (webinar like)_ session with a Nova coach, offering support and insights on key health topics like fitness, nutrition, recovery and overall wellness. Why did we create Pod Calls? Our goal is your success and your health goals can not be built on fitness alone. After delivering thousands of personal training sessions, we noticed a disconnect between fitness sessions we were delivering and the other pillars of health (and lifestyle habits that happen outside of the gym). To get the most out of your health and your fitness sessions at Nova we need to link other pillars such as mindset, nutrition, stress and recovery. Training coaches who care about your results will agree that a couple hours of personal training each week is not enough time to workout AND learn everything you need to know about maximizing those workouts... Things like how to eat before or after workouts, what recovery habits should be practiced or the link between stress and working out are all subjects that you need to know on your health and fitness journey. Pod Calls are dedicated sessions where we teach you essential health and fitness insights that we can't often cover during your gym workouts. We hope you take advantage of these expert-led sessions that will enhance your workouts, teach you new concepts about health and bridge the gap between fitness and overall wellness. Upcoming Pod Calls (all times in EST) Mon Jun 2, 2025 (6:00pm) Topic: How To Eat Carbs For Better Energy, Muscle & Fat Loss Coach: Josh Allen Wed Jun 4, 2025 (2:00pm) Topic: Hip Mobility Using the 'CARS' (active session) Coach: Kim Vo Sat Jun 7, 2025 (12:00pm) Topic: Benefits of Single Leg & Arm Training for Overall Strength Coach: Matthew Nadler Tues Jun 10, 2025 (6pm) Topic: Releasing Neck Tension Coach: Zack Fernandez Wed Jun 18, 2025 (1:00pm) Topic: Training The Backside of The Core Coach: Colin Soltesz Thu June 19, 2025 (7:00pm): Topic: Ayurveda for Healthy Ageing Coach: Kayla Hutchinson These calls are free for Nova members and Zoom links for each call can be found in the Nova Mighty Networks platform. If you are not a Nova member and would like to attend any of these please email Info@NovaHealthClub.com for a seat. We look forward to seeing you then!
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