Client Case Study: Dinah—Achieving Independence with Multiple Sclerosis

When Dinah was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), she knew she would need to make some lifestyle and diet changes to help her manage the disorder.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the lining of nerve cells which can lead to a wide variety of symptoms including muscle weakness, poor balance, and stiff muscles. As MS is a progressive disease, properly managing the condition is key to having a healthy, happy life.

Dinah knew she needed to lose weight in order to avoid putting additional stress on her joints and to stay as mobile and flexible as possible despite her diagnosis. With her first priority as weight loss, Dinah began working with Gavin at JordanFit.

“MS can leave people wheelchair-bound, but training with Gavin has helped me maintain muscle strength and independence,” Dinah says. “Gavin adapts my workout to my skills and abilities, which can fluctuate on any given day. He also varies the workouts to address different muscles and keeps the exercises interesting. At the same time, he motivates me to do more when I can handle it.”

As Dinah continued training with Gavin to maintain muscle strength and lose weight, her initial weight loss totaled 50 pounds. Gavin also worked with Dinah to change her diet for the better. “He’s a strong advocate of healthy eating; his protein bars and lasagna are delicious, filling, and healthy,” Dinah shares.

Dinah trains with Gavin during the week at the JordanFit gym, but Gavin also helps her maintain the motivation to work out at home to maintain her progress. “He motivates me to exercise on my own between sessions,” she says.

Despite a few setbacks from her initial weight loss due to her illness, Dinah continues to enjoy the JordanFit program and working with Gavin. One of things Dinah finds most convenient about training with Gavin is the flexibility of having a personal trainer as well as a private gym. “He adapts his schedule to accommodate yours,” Dinah says. “The private gym at JordanFit is easily accessible and there are no gym fees and no waiting for the equipment you want. And the gym is always clean!”

Now Dinah is 65 years old and started with Gavin 4 years ago. She was actually referred to Gavin by one of his other clients! So it was a viral referral. She maintains an active and healthy lifestyle despite her diagnosis through working with Gavin at JordanFit!