I Love Goooooooould

(Published Apr 18, 2016)

Meet Jim Gould and Have Fun with Fitness

Even though JCC personal trainer Jim Gould doubted himself when he started a pre-retirement career in fitness (he was the oldest in his class by about 30 years!), he’s found his niche. “I bring energy, wisdom and age and I think people have appreciated that,” he said. “Anybody can get back in shape and work out and I’m a perfect example of that.”

“Anybody can get back in shape and work out and I’m a perfect example of that.”

When Jim meets with a client, he first identifies any of their limitations, the types of exercise they like and their motivation. Many times people are motivated by events like a wedding, a beach vacation or a class reunion. One of his clients, Dr. Marcy Taylor (shown at top right), wanted to get in shape after she retired. “It’s good to have someone to help keep me on task,” she said. She’ll be increasing her sessions to strengthen her recently-broken wrist and also to prepare for her daughter’s upcoming wedding. Another of Jim’s clients, 16-year-old Julia (shown at bottom right), enjoys dancing so Jim incorporates 10 to 15 minutes of it in her workouts. Jim said it’s a good way for her to get cardio and the music “gets her to move far more than if I’m on the floor trying to have her work with machines.” But, for Jim, the most important ingredient to successful, sustained exercise is fun. “Having fun in fitness is very important. Otherwise you’re not going to want to work out. (And) the hardest part of exercising is showing up!” he said.