Active Aging: How 20 Minutes to Fitness is Redefining Fitness for Seniors

They didn’t start dating each other until a few weeks after graduating from high school, so Jeanette and Karl Kudick never considered themselves high school sweethearts. They have been sweethearts ever since, though. “There was a very popular song out when we started dating called Too Young, and that’s what everybody said about us,” Jeanette says. “They said we were too young to be together, too young to be married. And we were very young. But we made it work.” They’ve been making it work for 64 years. That’s how long Jeanette and Karl, who hail from a town of about 1,400 in eastern Wisconsin called Mishicot, have been married and making a life together. Most of those years have been spent in Mishicot, where the couple raised four sons, but after Jeanette retired from her job as a medical assistant and Karl retired from his career in banking and finance, the couple moved to Florida. Since then, they have developed a passion for golf and physical fitness. At 83 and 84, respectively, Jeanette and Karl believe that staying fit is more important than ever, and they are truly dedicated to it. Their routine used to include working out three or four days a week at a gym near their home, but they recently altered that routine after a friend suggested they could get a better workout at 20 Minutes to Fitness. “I didn’t know what 20 Minutes to Fitness was when we first tried it out, but it’s amazing,” Jeanette raves. “On our first day there, we met a woman in her 90s, and she raved about it. That sold me on it right then and there.”

Jordan Pysz / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Jeanette and Karl say their 20 Minutes to Fitness workouts are more
convenient and more effective than traditional workouts.

Tailored Training

At 20 Minutes to Fitness, clients work out one-on-one with a nationally certified personal fitness coach, who creates and supervises an individualized workout program. The program is designed to do what the business name implies: achieve results through a weekly 20-minute session. The workouts are structured around an exercise method known as slow-cadence training. The coach guides the client’s pace and form as weights are lifted in ultraslow movements on highly specialized equipment. Repetitions during each workout take approximately 20 seconds, thereby maximizing muscle performance. The slow-paced movements create continuous tension on muscle fibers. This allows clients to get more physical benefits than they would in a traditional workout program involving three or four hours per week. “In fact, this method is actually more effective, because in this program, you have more time under tension on those muscle fibers,” says Blake, general manager at 20 Minutes to Fitness of Downtown Sarasota. “The longer the muscle is challenged, the deeper it reaches into the tissue. “While each repetition in a traditional workout lasts for one or two seconds up and then one or two seconds down, we stretch that out to a 10- to 12-second count. It’s a big, big difference that achieves far better results.” Each workout consists of five to seven exercises of two minutes each, with the goal being to reach what is known as peak performance. When muscles reach this level during strength training, blood flows to the site. That supercharges the body and helps it burn fat while it rebuilds and strengthens the muscle naturally. “Participants get the maximum benefit through one 20-minute workout per week,” explains Angela Begin, part-owner of 20 Minutes to Fitness. “By going slowly, we get down deeper into the muscle fibers and force them to work at their peak performance. We work the entire body to keep it strong.” The program has years of research and plenty of science behind the success, The weight-training equipment features a patented double-stacking system, where weight can be increased in increments of 2 pounds instead of the traditional 5, 10 or 20. The equipment also is calibrated to work specific muscle groups without putting undue stress on joints or ligaments. Research has shown that in addition to improving strength, weekly 20-minute slow-cadence training sessions can also help improve the immune system, increase energy, control arthritis, increase bone density, fight symptoms of diabetes and reduce back pain.

“I am absolutely sold on 20 Minutes to Fitness. I’m stronger, more fit and my golf game has improved thanks to the workouts.” – Jeanette

“We have clients who are planning to have hip or knee replacement surgeries, and their doctors refer them to us,” Angela says, “because they know we can help them build the muscle around those joints prior to surgery. This allows for a quicker recovery after surgery.” “We’ve even had some people who have been able to hold off on those surgeries because they’ve built up the muscle around the joint. Most of our clients, though, are people who want to stay fit and don’t have the time or don’t want to spend hours in a gym and possibly risk injury. “They want a safe, quiet, private studio environment, and that’s what we offer, in addition to building back that muscle that people lose as they age. The other thing is, you’re never too young or too old to do this. We have teenagers who come in, in addition to clients who are in their 90s. We have clients who have never worked out, as well as athletes. We build your strength from where you are today.”

Tremendously Effective

Jeanette and Karl first tried 20 Minutes to Fitness about a year ago, mostly out of curiosity. They have since found it to be far more convenient and effective than the traditional workouts they were pushing through at their gym. “First of all, the exercises are different than anything I’ve experienced,” Jeanette says. “It’s a totally different way of building muscle and strength, and the coaches and trainers that work with you are so amazing. “I’ve worked with trainers at other gyms and most of them are very good, but the trainers and coaches at 20 Minutes to Fitness are so engaged and encouraging and supportive. I’ve never worked with anyone like them.” Jeanette and Karl’s workouts at 20 Minutes to Fitness had to be postponed for a while due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but upon their return, they were pleased to see that the staff had taken steps to ensure clients are safe and protected from the virus. “They do a great job of sanitizing all the equipment, and everything is spread out in such a way that social distancing is not a problem,” Jeanette reports. “The other thing they do is have you wait in your car until it’s time for your workout. “Once your workout is done, they have you walk out a different door so you’re not running into anybody who might be coming in. They’ve really done a great job as far as keeping the facility clean and safe for their customers through this virus. “I am absolutely sold on 20 Minutes to Fitness. I’m stronger, more fit and my golf game has improved thanks to the workouts, and the same goes for Karl. A friend recently told us how much better we’re hitting the ball since we’ve been going there. “I love 20 Minutes to Fitness so much that I am literally a walking billboard for it. I mean that. I have a 20 Minutes to Fitness T-shirt that says, A New Way of Exercising, and I wear it all the time. That’s how much I believe in it.”