Ever since its invention, Americans have loved the automobile. Unfortunately, that love has undone us. We began driving more and walking less resulting in a number of health ailments brought on by a decline in fitness.
Personal trainer, Maynard Taylor, has a favorite exercise that he pushes to all his clients. The one we left behind: walking.
He also likes the outdoors. “I have a gym, but I don’t use it that much, I prefer to use all this,” he says gesturing toward an open grassy field, “I like to do cardio and body weight exercises. The only equipment a person needs is their legs.”
Walking helps maintain a healthy weight and prevents heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. It also strengthens bones and muscles in addition to improving balance and coordination, and can even lift your mood! combine this with a posture corrector to help decrease back and neck pain.
The 36-year-old Philadelphia native discovered the benefits of exercise while in the Navy. Stuck aboard a ship, with little else to think about except a painful divorce, he found relief by lifting weights and exercising. He continued with his newfound love once his naval stint was over and it wasn’t long before others were asking his advice. Next thing he knew, him and his pal, Roscoe “Roc” Casey, began Roc Fitness Training.
“Get moving, get active,” Taylor says, “that is our training philosophy.”
“We have a slogan, ‘Let’s Go BABY,’ and B-A-B-Y means, Build A Better You,” he says with enthusiasm.
Taylor is a man on a mission; he wants people to be fit and active. At the moment, he isn’t making it a full-time career, but it is an all-consuming passion.
“I just want to help people change their lives and achieve their goals,” Taylor says.
He has learned that clients are all different. “When someone comes to me I ask them: ‘What are you trying to change?’ Then, I find out what motivates them,” he says. “I had one girl who needed to pass a fireman’s physical exam. One day she said she didn’t feel like training, and I said, ‘there is somebody else who wants that spot and they are working out right now and they are going to take it away from you.’ That got her going.”
Taylor admits that many people have trouble staying motivated. He helps them look for higher goals and urges them forward. Some just need a training partner, and he is happy to be that person. He is constantly giving advice and is as much a mentor as he is a motivator.