FITNESS PROFILE
Senior fitness coach seeks physical, mental, spiritual balance

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Profession: Aston-Patterning Movement coach and senior fitness coach.

Height, weight: 5 feet 6, 126 pounds.

Workout habits: Swim laps three times a week for 35 to 40 minutes each time. Teach two senior fitness classes. Also do free weights, play golf and walk when I can.

My good/bad foods: Good ones include grains, fruits, veggies, fish, chicken and lean beef. Bad: Mayonnaise and chips.

"I was an obese teenager and my doctor told me to eat everything — but just cut it in half. I have followed that my whole life and have been lean ever since."

My biggest motivator: My energy level and how it responds to a balanced exercise program.

What I wear to work out: Speedo swimsuits and comfortable pants with a little Lycra, paired with a T-shirt.

What saves my sanity: Quality rest, fitness, family and music.

My next challenge: Achieve and maintain a good balance in my life physically, mentally and spiritually.

Advice for those in the same boat: Find a way to be disciplined in your workout schedule, but be flexible. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt!

What is Aston-Patterning?

Aston-Patterning offers an individual assessment of how a client moves, giving alternatives for improved flexibility, stamina, alignment and stability. Joanna Witt, a practitioner since 1980, starts by analyzing how a client walks, sits, and gets in and out of a car, and performs sports activities.

It is designed to break bad habits and replace them with optimal alignment and body dynamics. Witt offers these suggestions for a correct alignment:

• Sit up straight.
• Stand up straight.
• Keep your shoulders back.
• Tuck in your tummy.
• Don't walk a tightrope; make your steps match the width of your pelvis.
• For information and referral, log on to www.astonenterprises.com under "Practitioners."