Monadnock Ledger-Transcript – ConVal graduates open training program for athletes of all ages

Lifelong Athlete, a training program at the Monadnock Gymnastics Center at 9 Vose Farm Road in Peterborough, began operations a little over a month ago, trying to meet a need in the community.

Co-founders Jonathan Blair and Chris Lundsted said the goal of the program is to train athletes of all ages in fitness, injury prevention and long-term athletic development to promote wellness and healthy lifestyles in the Monadnock area.

“Functional strength training is at the center of our philosophy,” says Lundsted with movement-specific movements and full-body exercises.

The two ConVal alumni started talking about this five years ago when they were roommates at UNH while both were working towards their degrees. Blair graduated from ConVal in 2005 and played hockey, got his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and his master’s degree in sports science. Lundsted, who graduated in 2010 and played golf, hockey, and lacrosse in high school, also has a degree in kinesiology.

Blair has worked with middle school, high school and college athletes including strength and conditioning at UNH, while Lundsted’s current role as ConVals athletic coach provides a unique perspective on athletes’ needs for field success and ability , stay tuned.

“We both spent a lot of time in the field,” said Blair.

But the two saw this as a real opportunity to offer athletes another opportunity outside of training to improve their fitness.

“We both enjoyed training for our sport, but we never had any guidance on how to do it,” said Blair.

Lundsted said in his work as an athletic trainer at ConVal that he found that the school’s athletes could benefit from a hands-on approach.

“I got a little more interested in the strength and conditioning side of things and the role it can play,” Lundsted said.

Lundsted has been running a strength and conditioning camp in the high school for the past few summers (minus 2020 due to COVID-19) and said he sees an immediate benefit for the participating athletes.

“And the more I did it, the more the children became interested,” said Lundsted. Parents asked if there was a way to continue it throughout the school year.

In his role as an athletic coach, Lundsted said there isn’t always extra time to work on building more strength and stamina, but Lifelong Athlete will provide a path for those who want to invest more time.

But what Lifelong Athlete offers is more than just an athlete participating in a structured sport.

“We feel that the principles for athletes and training for general health and wellbeing are the same,” said Blair.

And with the closure of the Bond Wellness Center in the Monadnock Community Hospital, the partners saw an even greater need for all age groups in the region and gave them an impetus to get the program off the ground.

“We know people in this section of the population who want to stay active,” Blair said.

“The process is the same for everyone, we can just adapt it to what they want to do,” said Lundsted.

Lifelong Athlete offers four-week group courses for people aged 18 and over, as well as semi-private and private sessions.

“It really depends on what the person needs and what they want to achieve,” Blair said. “And we want to build a community of people who like to train together.”

The structure includes extensive warm-up exercises, flexibility / mobility training, balance / stability, strength and strength development as well as cardio and aerobic training.

On November 6th, there will be an open day at Lifelong Athlete from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, visit https://www.lifelongathletegym.com/, email [email protected], or call (603) 757-6104.