Ivor Zimmelman

The fitness industry has taught us to chase numbers. Lose 20 pounds. Build muscle. Fit into a smaller size. Lower your body fat percentage. Those aren't bad goals. In fact, they're often the reason people take the first step toward improving their health. But after coaching clients, and years of training myself, I've come to believe they're only part of the story. Last year, we moved to a new state and bought a house. Like many homes, it came with a long list of projects. Over the next...

I have a 15-year-old, 65-pound lab mix. She’s been a central part of our family for years, but like all of us as we age, she has slowed down quite a bit. After a bout with vestibular disease, her balance was severely affected. Suddenly, she could no longer manage the stairs or get onto the bed on her own. During that time, I had to carry her up and down a flight of stairs multiple times a day. It wasn’t something I planned for. It was just something that needed to be done. The Real-World...

When most people think about fitness, they think about weight. How much can you bench? How much can you squat? How much can you lift? But as we get older, those numbers become less important than something most people never think to measure: can your body still do the things you'll need it to do for the rest of your life? Can you get off the floor? Can you carry groceries without struggling? Can you climb a flight of stairs without getting winded? Can you play with your grandkids and actually...