ABOUT
Randi Bethel
Certified Personal Trainer, Water Fitness Instructor,
Functional Aging Specialist
I was fortunate to grow up in an active family. My parents met on the tennis courts in Manhattan. My mother was a physical education teacher and instilled her love of activity in me. Early on, I learned how to swim, ride a bike and play tennis. As an adult, I added a bit of running, downhill skiing and cross country skiing. I even met my husband while skiing (ok, really at the bar après ski)! I discovered strength training to augment my endurance sports.
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Randi the Techie
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Before becoming a personal trainer/fitness coach, I spent 30+ years in the high tech industry, much of it here in Silicon Valley. Despite the travel schedule and days spent chained to my computer, I kept my body moving by running and swimming while on the road, cycling at home on weekends and skiing when I could. I formed a cycle team that participates every year in the Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Waves to Wine bike ride fundraiser, a 2-day bike ride in which participants ride up to 150 miles. I also participated on various teams with Team in Training.
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As the years passed I watched sedentary colleagues decline in health. I saw parents of my generation suffer the effects of aging. I noticed that these effects were minimized in me and other friends who had remained active. Then I realized that I could help other people age gracefully.
Fitness Randi
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Before deciding to make the jump from high tech to fitness, I needed education. I took my first anatomy and physiology course at a local community college and fell in love. As I continued my course work studying fitness and the human body, my knowledge and enthusiasm increased. I loved learning about the body – inside and out! I eventually received a double associate’s degree in personal fitness and kinesiology (the study of movement).
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Toward the end of my degree program I began working part time at the Palo Alto Family YMCA. As a personal trainer, I work one-on-one with the over 50 crowd. The more people I work with the more I learn and the more enthusiastic I get. And I make a difference in people’s lives.
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To learn specifically about the aging body, I enrolled in a certification program and have become a Functional Aging Specialist. This program taught me how best to work with an aging body. I continue to increase my education by attending online classes, reading and studying with other experienced fitness professionals. I use the knowledge I gain to help my clients get fit with minimal risk.
Move thru Life
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Move thru Life provides 1-on-1, partner training and small group classes that include four pillars of fitness:
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Heart Health
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Strength
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Balance
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Flexibility
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Regular physical activity is important to keep the heart healthy. The heart is a muscle. It needs to be exercised like any other muscle in the body. You want a strong heart to maximize blood circulation so that oxygen can be delivered to your muscles, brain and other organs.
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Strength work is key to keeping the body strong. I believe in doing functional exercises that mimic the movements of life. This type of exercise eases life tasks like bringing groceries in from the car and putting them away, carrying children and walking up and down stairs.
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Balance gets more important as we age. Preventing falls is paramount to staying healthy. Balance exercises help people maintain the ability to stay upright and “catch” themselves before they fall.
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Flexibility helps you to maintain the full range of motion of joints. Sometimes movements happen unexpectedly. Tendons, ligaments and cartilage may become more brittle. Improving flexibility will help keep the joints safe.
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I believe addressing these aspects of fitness will keep you healthy as you age. The goal is to maintain a quality of life so you can dance at your grandchild’s wedding.
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I am certified through the American College of Sports Medicine, the Functional Aging Institute and the United States Water Fitness Association.
Certifications
Affiliations
