DENHAM SPRINGS -- Three years ago, 28-year-old Audrianna Atkinson endured a 20-day migraine that resulted in complete paralyzation of the right side of her body.

She then spent more than two years confined in a wheelchair, which made simplest of tasks a struggle, before she was eventually able to move around with a walker.

By the time she met Bill Gvoich, director of the Medical Wellness Program for Peak Performance Physical Therapy, in June, Atkinson was able to walk with the assistance of a cane, although there was a noticeable limp with every step.

At that time, the Denham Springs resident still had difficulty raising her right leg or lifting her right arm above her shoulder.

Under Gvoichs guidance, a lot of has changed in the last two months.

Now, I can easily get it up here, said Atkinson as she proudly raised her arm above her shoulder. Before it was like a slow crawl trying to get it up.

To Atkinson, Gvoich and his Rxercise program is the reason for the progress.

I wouldnt be as far along without these exercises, she said.

Others have said the same about Rxercise, a program Gvoich started eight years ago through Peak Performance that bridges together medical, physical therapy and wellness services on an individual basis.

Rxercise (pronounced R-exercise) uses a team approach with other health professionals, physical therapists and nutritionists to achieve safe and measurable program results. Its established in four locations in Baton Rouge, Denham Springs and Ascension Parish.

Everything runs under the direction of Gvoich, who has a Masters of Science degree in community health and fitness programming therapy from the University of Guelph in Canada.

He has worked in the fitness arena for more than 40 years as an administrator, educator, author and coach, and hes opened a few health clinics during that time. He also produced a fitness television show that ran for 13 years and served as editor for Health Awareness Magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Gvoich has trained professional and national sports teams in Canada and the United States during his long, illustrious career, tailoring personally-designed programs to fit their needs. Some of his trainees have even made it to the Olympics, world and national championships.

But now, rather than helping world-class athletes reach their competitive goals, Gvoich can be found helping his 30 or so clients improve their quality of life.

But the end goal is still the same.

My goal is for them not to just participate, but to thrive and progress, he enthusiastically said.

Gvoichs sessions are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays each week, and costs are $100 per month, which comes out to less than $10 per session. That is significantly cheaper than a personal trainer because Peak Performance takes care of most of the costs, Gvoich said.

We all believe in this, he added.

What makes Rxercise unique, according to Gvoich and many of his clients, is that it takes into account the individualized needs of each person. Hell go through his clients confidential health history, get copies of their blood work from doctors and design a program that specifically targets their needs.

Gvoich will then supervise the workouts during small group sessions, which allow him to give more one-on-one attention to his clients. As their fitness levels change, he changes their program accordingly.

There are goals each client is supposed to meet during this fitness journey, and Gvoich tries to be along every step of the way.

If you lose weight, improve your strength and your cardiovascular training, that helps with your medical aspects of your life, Gvoich said. Its not only prevention, but it also compliments medical care.

One of the most common issues Gvoich said his clients have is a loss of balance, which is precisely why retired Denham Springs dentist Joe DePaula returned to the program eight weeks ago after he had to stop going following the Great Flood of 2016.

Before then, DePaula said his balance was so off that he had difficulty doing step-ups, an exercise that requires you to step on a raised platform and bring your knee to your chest before switching legs.

After struggling to do even one step-up, DePaula was able to push through an entire set of them during a recent session at Spectrum Fitness in Denham Springs.

I really needed this, DePaula said.

And he isnt the only one who did.

Mary Flowers, a retired teacher and assistant principal who lives in Walker, was also at that session with DePaula and Atkinson on Friday, Aug. 11, working up a sweat as she performed the various workouts.

She joined Rxercise in May shortly after suffering a hard fall in a grocery store parking lot and badly spraining her wrist, leg and knee.

But the injuries were so severe that, during her first workout with Gvoich, she fell to the ground while trying to do a one-legged exercise. After taking a quick look at her right knee, Flowers recalled Gvoich saying it was unusable and likely the reason she couldnt complete the workout.

That convinced me that I needed to do something, Flowers said.

Since that second painful fall, Rxercise has become her main priority. She attends all three one-hour sessions per week and even finds time to work out at Spectrum Fitness on her off days.

Flowers make sure to send Gvoich a text whenever she loses a pound. In less than three months, shes sent 20 text messages.

And every time, Gvoich responds with congratulations before telling her the next milestone.

Just that one-on-one encouragement means a whole lot, Flowers said. Its keeps you focused just having someone there to talk to.

Ive got a long way to go, but Im on the right track now.

Gvoich hopes others will follow Flowers on that track.

The goal is to improve the fitness and wellness of people, regardless of their age, he said. You dont have to be elderly to have the health benefits of an active lifestyle. We have all age groups. A lot of people think its just for the elderly, but its not.

Its for anyone who wants to live a healthier life.

Visit link:
Local fitness expert uses "Rxercise" program to help others achieve health goals - The Livingston Parish News (press release) (subscription)