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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