“After working the last 20 years as a Active Isolated Stretching Therapist, Massage Therapist, and rehabilitative strength therapist for aging adults, I find myself at age 70 beginning to experience aging related issues. I have always prided myself on a healthy regimine that included a healthy low processed-carb diet, regular good sleep, stress management, maintaining flexibility, regular strength exercise, and an active lifestyle that included four different activities including singles tennis, running, biking, and singles rowing (sculling) in our local river. I always reasoned that an injury or issue may side-line me from one or two activities. But by practicing four, there would always be at least one that I could continue with until I healed. But when you combine a right hip labrel tear, a left shoulder impingement, and a buldging C-5 neck disk, that can all come to a halt pretty quickly. The elements program combined with the excellent coaching that goes along with it has enabled me to focus on quality workouts rather than quantity. While my activity level has certainly dropped, I continue to make slow but steady progress toward healing and recovery. And while I may or may not be able to return to the same level of activity in my four chosen lifestyle activities, I know that I can adapt and shift toward other activities that will support a healthy active lifestyle as I continue to age. In addition to elements I recently have taken up Tai Chi, which like Elements allows me and encourages me to practice with mindfulness, quality over quantity, and a joyful spirit.”
“Elements is different from any other exercise regimen I've tried in that the focus is on building capability. Basically, I can do things with my body now that I couldn't do before, and it's made using my body in other ways easier and more effective as well. For instance, after doing Elements for a while I could dead hang longer, even though I hadn't been training dead hangs.
Best of all, this is a program I look forward to working on. It doesn't feel like a chore and so I've maintained my fitness routine and made progress, even after having to take a break because of an injury.”
“I spent literally years thinking I should be doing this program, but intstead, continued doing bits and pieces of random mobility from here and there oh the internet. I never made any progress. Following a six month period of inactivity due to a pretty serious medical issue, I finally clicked purchase. So glad I did!
I'm now around half way through elements and my progress has been terrific. It's such a well structured program that you can't help but improve. I think of it as "sneaky", in that the progress sneaks up on you and you find yourself doing movements with relative ease that seemed virtually impossible just a month before.
I'm a 63 year old who was as stiff as a board from injuries and surgeries from heavy contact sport in my younger days. Subsequent years of sitting in an office had taken their toll too. But, finally I am starting to move with less pain and restriction.
If you're procrastinating like I did. Stop now! I can't recommend Elements more highly.”
“I'm loving the program. I like that they give different options for some exercises and explain that you don't have to copy them, but just do the exercise at the level you can on that day.”
“I’m halfway through the program and have been doing the sessions about five days per week. The program is well designed, engaging, and easy to follow, which has made it enjoyable to stay consistent.
However, after almost three weeks I haven’t experienced the level of improvement suggested in the program. Some of the exercises are still very challenging for my current level, and while I understand they are meant to improve with practice, they still feel quite far away.
That said, I do enjoy the sessions and the overall approach, so I plan to complete the program. I just expected to notice a bit more progress by this point.”
“I have been enjoying Elements. Some movements come easily, some are much more difficult, or not possible for now, like pausing movements. My knees are pretty achy if I go for a full 45 minutes, but that may change with time I hope.”
“I’m in my early 60s, spent 40 years sitting behind a desk, and started doing GMB courses just under a year and a half ago, beginning with Elements, alternating with Mobility.
Being British, I don’t do exuberance, so what I’ve said in the title is 100% genuine, and here is why.
1 The best exercise is the one you actually do. Everything about GMB, big and small, is designed to make it into a habit, and it succeeds. No need to travel to a gym on a cold evening when you’re tired after work. Just roll back a carpet mat or move a sofa at home, open up your laptop, and lose the top layers of the clothing you’re already standing in. You’re ready to rock and roll. In less than two minutes. The exercises repeat and develop, but every session is different, so it never gets samey. As a person who has spent a lifetime getting bored with things after a few weeks, the fact I’m still doing GMB after more than a year, is a miracle in itself.
2 If you do Elements, you may have no problems with certain areas. I’ve had none with arms, shoulders and wrists. But if there are other areas you have neglected, this course will find you out. My hip and knee mobility was so bad from years of sitting, that I couldn’t even get near a deep squat, or sitting on my heels, and both knees were clunking heavily (without pain) when I tried. I hadn’t even realised there was a problem, when I was going down the road of needing a new knee or hip. I can now do both these things, but only with about 60% proficiency, in terms of how well and for how long, so there is still a way to go.
3 Although a lot of reviews mention feeling some benefits straight away, which you will once any soreness has worn off, those benefits are nothing compared to the fundamental changes you will see if you keep it up for months and years. That’s how it becomes life-changing.
4 The other thing GMB make clear, is that they are not the answer to everything, and don’t pretend to be. They understand that we exercise to live, not vice versa. And they encourage people to do something else besides, whatever works for them, jiu-jitsu, a pull up station in the garage, a ten minute walk, squatting to clean the car or load the washing machine, whatever.
4 The coaching is superb, because unlike YouTube videos from people who have been doing calisthenics since they were five, these coaches understand the limitations people have when starting from scratch, take it very gradually, don’t make unrealistic demands, don’t jump from beginner to full intermediate over two sessions, but do offer different ways of doing each exercise to choose from, depending on how well you can do it to start with.
4 The last point is the elephant in the room, which most reviews don’t mention. But it was a big factor for me, so it will be for other people as well. Money. I spent a while mulling over whether I wanted to spend the price of this course. All I can say is, knowing what I know now, for the benefits I’ve had out of GMB, the low-to-mid hundreds I’ve spent just look like a couple of crushed peanuts in my hand. So if that's what's holding you back, don't. Start it now.”
