Finding Relief and Joy in Retirement

After Mike and his wife Gail retired last year, he was looking for something to do with his new found spare time. As they looked for ways to stay active and engaged, they stopped by the Y for a tour. Impressed by all that was offered, they decided to join.

For Mike, the goal was clear: he wanted to build a consistent exercise routine that he hoped would help with the back pain that had been getting progressively worse over the last decade. He turned to the EGYM circuit and now uses it three times a week, hoping to add in more days in the future.

Before starting at the Y, Mike’s back problems made activities—especially golf—difficult. “I had to take aspirin before, during, and after a round just to get through it,” he recalls. “Even then, it was never painless—just barely tolerable. All I could manage was golfing about once every other week.”

But after just a few weeks on the EGYM circuit, things began to change. “I only needed two aspirins before a round. After a month or so, I was golfing twice a week—pain-free,” Mike says. Yard work, once another painful chore, is now pain free too.

“It’s a new experience, going through life without constantly worrying about when I’ll next trigger back pain,” he shares. “Thanks to the Y, I’m finally experiencing retirement as it should be!”