My name is Jeff Forman, and I am a NASM-Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach currently located at the Seacoast YMCA in Exeter.

I became a trainer after a lifetime of cumulative abuse and injury forced me to have reconstructive ankle surgery. During the recovery process that lasted for over 6 months, I was forced to sit with my leg elevated due to the long term swelling and extent of the injury. This allowed my body to become unconditioned, weak, and unreliable. I ended up being in the very worst shape of my life. The only upside during that time was the weight I lost because I was prescribed a GLP-1 for my obesity. That weight loss was primarily muscle, which was immediately noticed when I entered physical therapy.

A few months after completing PT, I was not making the gains I needed to make due to a number of things, but primarily it was because I forgot how to work out, I did not know what to do to get back into shape and I was scared to injure myself because I did the wrong things. It was at this time that I found a personal trainer and signed on with him.  After about 6 months of consistent and steady appointments I was physically feeling good and mentally sharp, which allowed me to think about the future and decide what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. This is when I decided that I could become a Personal Trainer and then accomplished that feat. Upon certification I secured my position with the YMCA and have been honing my craft since.

What makes me unique are the problems I overcame to once again become fit and to feel good. Like so many of us, I convinced myself that I had no time to work out, and I allowed myself to become obese and out of shape. My ankle changed all that, and I took the opportunity it offered to make some necessary and much-needed changes. My time with a personal trainer convinced me that this is what I wanted to do and with his support and NASM, I was able to gain the knowledge and confidence to help others do the same.