"From Falls to Fortitude: Sue’s Goodnick Journey to Balance and Strength"

Sue, a 65-year-old with a history of active living, transformed her balance and physical strength through Goodnick, moving from frequent falls and fears of frailty to confidently staying upright and tackling hilly walks in the Peak District. Her story highlights how Goodnick’s flexible, at-home workouts restored her ability to get up from the floor, tone her arms, and embrace an active, independent life with renewed confidence.

 

Before Goodnick, Sue was concerned about her declining physical abilities, particularly her balance. I have fallen over and hit my knees more times than I can remember,” she shared, recalling multiple falls that bruised her knees. Despite being active through walking and past fitness efforts, she felt the need for a program to maintain her strength and prevent frailty. 

Her biggest fear about aging was losing independence, inspired by negative examples from family members. “My mum had a lot of health issues and she’s one of my inspirations in the wrong way for looking after yourself because she was very, very heavy when she died,” she said. “I just don’t want to get like that.” Similarly, her ex-husband’s parents became frail and dependent, reinforcing her desire to stay active. “I just think I don’t want to go like that. 

Sue had a background in fitness, including walking, a 100k cycle ride, and personal training starting around 2013. “I got a personal trainer in about 2013, 2014 maybe because somebody I knew did it and I saw the transformation in her,” she recalled. She attended studio sessions three times a week and continued online during lockdown, but after moving from Essex to Derbyshire, her routine faltered. “We moved away and although I still walked, there was a lack of structured exercise. Other online groups she tried lacked the accountability Goodnick offered. 

Sue discovered Goodnick through a Facebook ad and started with the three-day free challenge, progressing to a paid multi-week program and then the annual plan. “It came up on Facebook, I think. I’m fairly certain that was where I saw it,” she said. The setup was straightforward: “I have it on my phone and I turn the screen back so you’ve got it full screen and I can see what’s going on.” The routines are generally easy to follow.

The three 20-minute sessions per week fit well into her routine, especially with her busy schedule of helping with her granddaughter and hobbies like singing and painting. “Monday, Wednesday, Friday worked out really well for me,” she said, though she adjusts when needed: “Occasionally I’d switch the Wednesday one. The flexibility is key: “You can always go ahead to the end of the week if you need to.” 

She values doing sessions first thing in the morning: “I get up about half past six in the morning, my husband wakes up about an hour later, then he’ll read his book for a bit and then he’ll come down and I’ll just go into the living room, shut the door, sometimes the cat’s on the mat, we have to do it together until she gets fed up.” This sets her up for the day: “Then I’ll have some breakfast, that makes me feel like I’ve had a good start to the day.”

The at-home format is a major advantage: “There’s lots of disadvantages but there are a lot of benefits in that you can fit it in when it suits you.” Compared to evening gym sessions in the past, “I only had about a drive of about a mile to go to where my studio was but sometimes in the winter I mean when I always found that when I went I’d come back and I’d be bouncing around but that was by that time it was about nine o’clock in the evening.” Goodnick’s convenience eliminates travel and allows her to exercise on her terms.

A pivotal moment came at a Sam Fender concert in Manchester, where Sue’s improved balance prevented a fall. “I caught my foot on a bit of upturned pavement and I went forward, jolted forward, and I went quite a few steps, but I stayed upright,” she shared. “I really thought I was hitting the ground and then somehow I wasn’t.” She attributed this to Goodnick’s balance exercises: “I think working on the balance it’s got to be that.” Another milestone was getting up from the floor: “The thing that I couldn’t do before was get up from the floor without pulling myself up and now I can put one foot up and then the other foot and just lever myself up and get up.” These changes made daily tasks easier, like standing up from the grass at the concert without assistance: “Now I can just get up now in various different ways but I can get myself to my feet without needing any help.”

Goodnick has significantly boosted Sue’s confidence. “I think when I’m out, I mean we’re in a very hilly part of the country, we’re right on the edge of the Peak District so there’s lots of places to walk and lots of walking that can be quite challenging at times. I think I’m sort of feeling more up for that now,” she said. Living on a hill, she now handles walks to the shops with ease.  Physically, she’s noticed toning: “I think I’ve definitely toned up a bit. I can feel like my arms definitely feel like they’re getting back to where they were a few years ago.” Mentally, workouts set her up for the day: “I always feel better after a workout. You never regret a workout.” This is reinforced by moments of strength, like fending off her husband’s playful teasing: “I got my arms on him and I held him off and he was pushing and pushing and pushing and eventually he stopped and he said to me God you are strong now aren’t you?”

To a friend hesitant about joining, Sue advises: “I’d say it’s definitely worthwhile doing it.   She emphasises the gradual progression and flexibility: “If you’re finding it;s too much, you can always stop for a second or you can always stop for a very short one and then continue.” For those who think it’s too late to start exercising, she counters: “I don’t think it’s ever too late and you see people doing all kinds of things don’t you nowadays? 

Sue is most proud of her ability to push herself and stick with the program: “I’m most proud of doing, well whenever Emma says! 

She’s also proud of tackling higher-level exercises: “I’m always doing them at the top level so I’m proud of that and I’m proud of myself for sticking with it.” Goodnick has given her confidence in her future: “Confidence in the future and confidence in the things that I can do now, but also confidence that in the future I’ll still be able to do them.” From lifting heavy boxes to performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Sue’s active lifestyle reflects her strength and independence, inspiring her granddaughter and others.