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Business & Tech

Helping Hearts To Health!

Personal trainer, Kevin Laird from Mokena wants to help you keep those New Year resolutions on a healthy lifestyle.

Mokena resident Kevin Laird always had a knack for helping people. That drive became more driven when Kevin's parents both passed away at a young age.

" It's important to live a healthy lifestyle," says Laird. "I've believed that for a long time. Then I lost both my parents to heart attacks. That to me was devestating not to have either parent."

A personal trainer for 16 years, Laird felt it was time to be able to train and help people full time. He opened up Anatomy Physical Fitness in Mokena.  In less than a year, Laird's business has grown. He knows the heartache of an unhealthy lifestyle.

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"My passion is to help people," says Laird. "I've always been a person to help someone out if they're in need. I'm trying to get people to become more healthy. This is what I enjoy doing more than anything. If I can reach out to one person, that's success. If I can reach out to a group of people I know I'm making progress. This is my calling."

What a calling it has been. There are success stories of clients losing 90 and 150 pounds. I have quite a few clients that have come from rock bottom and climbed their way to the top. I've worked with clients who couldn't perform their job anymore because of their weight. I've worked with clients who had diabetes and now they are off their medication."

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Working with clients with various health and weight issues and low self esteem. Laird explains how. "I help break down the walls. Once we break those down, we find out what exercises you can do. Things begin to happen. I won't allow a person to tell me they can't do it or it won't happen."

"You can do anything you want to if you set your mind to it. Ask yourself how bad do you want to make these changes. If you look in the mirror every day and say I'm not happy with what I see, we do something about it"

Laird helps in other ways too. His business features a full gym where he does sports training. He prepares youths and adults for wrestling, basketball, baseball and football. 

"I teach them speed and agility," Laird says.

A success story from one of his athletes is as follows. "A young guy came to me at the age of 13.  He had no type of foot work, very clumsy. This kid had no movement to where he could play basketball. I took him under my wing for 1 1/2 years. His goal was to try out for his freshman basketball team. He didn't see any hope in himself. I said let's do some work and gave it eight months. Sure enough, I could see progression after the first few months. He made the team. Nowadays he is a starting player on his varsity team preparing to go to college and play ball.

"There is always hope.Don't ever say you can't do it. It doesn't matter what age you are. Your goals are reachable!"

Laird gives tips to staying healthy. " The first rule is, stay out of fast food restaurants and prepare your own meals. Train yourself to cook healthy."

The second tip Laird encourages is, " Read nutritional articles. There are a lot of nutrition value on how to cook, purchase the right foods and how to eat them."

Seeing the national average for obesity in the United States concerns Laird. "I want to reach out to as many individuals as I can to help them live a more healthier lifestyle."

"It is the best feeling in the world, when a person achieves what they set out to do and I was a part of that."

For more information on Anatomy Physical Fitness call 815-405-2209.

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