Working With Me

Dear Ann: Thanks for coming into my life and helping me deal with Parkinson’s Disease. I was diagnosed last year after my fifty-ninth birthday.  I was a couch potato for my whole life.  My doctor recommended eating better, exercising and dancing.  All three of which were low on my priority list. Your coaching and workouts have helped me with fitness, balance and overall health.  Your focus on doing things that challenge me physically and mentally is terrific.  We started slowly with workouts while sitting in a chair.  Now we do things that I never in my life thought I would be doing. I’m certain that your workouts will help improve the quality of my life as my Parkinson’s progresses.  In fact, my friends have been telling me that I look better, and aside from some symptoms, I do feel better! My wife did a lot of dancing in her youth and I hated dancing.  Now she has a bad knee and I’m doing complex dance steps.  I still have problems keeping the beat, but I’m dancing! Feel free to share this letter with prospective clients.  I’m happy to talk to anyone about how you have improved my life! Cheers,”   Bert.S ~ Carlsbad

Alas, our bodies don’t come with instruction manuals and mine is now showing the wear and tear of improper use. It is this chronic deterioration of the joints due to misuse, than disease, that has impinged on my quality of life. In reflection it was inevitable that the “hinges”–specifically, the knees, elbows, ankles, and waist would become the the sources of my distress. This is when I wish I’d met Ms. Heizer earlier. I’ve discovered my problems are more a matter of poor technique than a matter of physical deterioration; and that by applying better techniques so ably instructed by Ms. Heizer–even this late in the game, I’m able to be more agile and less pained. Frankly, I’ve flinched from certain exercises because they place a massive load on specific joints that I feel are fragile. Through Ms. Heizer’s cleverly honed technique I’m now able to add strength to my abdomen, back, shoulders and thighs without the wrenching abuse of muscle and bone that up til now has been conventional. Instead she has a subtle way of isolating specific muscle and skeletal groups, and developing those specific areas without generating greater wear on the rest of one’s anatomy, I wish I had learned these methods to better use my body, taught by Ms. Heizer, many, many years earlier–there is no doubt I would have been stronger, but the good news it is never too late to learn as I’ve already derived some wonderful benefits thanks to her caring instruction and supervision.”

• MARK F, author ~ Los Angeles

On the Heizer Maneuver: “I love it. It’s definitely a New Age functional way for gravity induced posture to be addressed. A safe and effective way to articulate the joints so that they line up properly to alleviate stress and strain. Also the maneuver to me based on the pictures will enhance one’s kinesthetic awareness making it far superior and less chance of injury than the conventional way!!! I feel you can market promote and patent this move!!!” Dave Parise ~ Hall of Fame Personal Trainer  

“I look forward to working muscles that are usually ignored in other workouts of this kind. This class has resulted in an improvement in my twice weekly skeet shooting scores, due to my improved mobility. I have a smoother routine with my shooting AND my golf short iron game is also better for the same reason, I believe.” Denver M.

“I haven’t used my cane since shortly after starting the program, and seem to be able to accomplish everyday tasks with more ease. Mobility, balance and muscle control have improved measurably. I feel energized.”