Interview of Reuben Maestas Professional Fitness Trainer

ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer Reuben Maestas is a living testament to the fact that through proper nutrition and exercise, even potentially devastating physical conditions can be overcome.

Confined in a body cast after a freak accident at a construction site, he was told by four doctors that he faced a grim future: permanent spinal injuries and almost total loss of movement in his left arm.

Then a fifth doctor had a different idea.

What follows is the story of Reuben's remarkable recovery, via a recent interview with ISSA's Director of Marketing, Neil Reuben (no relation!)

NR- I understand that you suffered from a rare form of arthritis for most of your life and then had a very traumatic accident while working as an ironworker.

RM- Yes.

NR- Tell me about the accident.

RM- Well a very heavy load of angle iron fell on me crushing a couple of discs in my back an damaging all the tendons in my left arm and my ribs and neck. A spinal fusion surgery was recommended for my back, but I was told that my arm could not be saved at all-that it would dangle by my side, useless for the rest of my life. The circulation was so severely impaired that my fingertips turned purple and there was danger of gangrene that would possibly even lead to amputation. Even though four doctors told me to give up hope, I finally found a doctor who told me that the limb might be saved if I could begin to exercise it.

NR- So what did you do?

RM- Well I began by squeezing a ball which was virtually impossible at first, but after numerous therapies including submerging the arm in a vat of hot wax, I began to get some feeling back. It actually took me more than a year just to be able to wiggle my fingers. From there I progressed to a series of resistance therapies that involved pushing and pulling. I underwent therapy for five years and then continued exercising on my own. It actually took ten years of effort to regain about 90% of the use of the arm. I can't tell you how incredibly fortunate I feel to have progressed that far.

NR- Did you ever have surgery on your back?

RM- No. After many months of being totally immobilized, I began doing various crunches and abdominal movements, and eventually after about seven years, I regained 90% of the movement in my back that I had prior to the accident. I still have some lingering pain now, 29 years after the accident, but it's minor and I can do nearly everything that a man my age (52) could expect to. However, when I don't exercise or eat wrong, I quickly return to a very painful existence.

NR- What was the nature of your other condition?

RM- I was born with a congenital form of arthritis that resulted in severe nose bleeds, extreme headaches, and greatly impaired vision. I had gone to seven different specialists and the only relief I got was from having steroid injections directly into my eyes. I guess I don't have to tell you how painful that was. I was told that it was very likely that I would go blind. Finally I found a doctor who diagnosed the condition as Rieter's Syndrome, which it turned out my Dad suffers from also. They tried giving me Napersyn to bring down inflammation, but I had such a severe reaction to it that I wound up in the hospital emergency room. After many, many years of trial and error, I learned that I could control the condition by avoiding all junk foods, red meat, saturated fats and all dairy. I also added raw fruits and vegetables and lots of water to my diet and began taking supplements consisting of super antioxidants and enzymes.

NR- So, now you're working as a personal trainer and a nutritional counselor, and you'll soon be earning your degree as a naturopathic physician.?

RM- Yes.

NR- Do you feel that your experience with this whole ordeal had helped you help others?

RM- Undoubtedly. If I could recover from the extreme medical
difficulties I experienced, I think most people can.

NR- What advice do you have for our trainers?

RM- I believe in lots of strength training and a liberal amount of cardiovascular exercise. Find out where your client is at, and educate them. You should really be a teacher as well as a trainer. Always keep your own education as complete as possible. We all want to help our clients but ultimately, they have to do the work themselves. Above all, I believe that we have the ability to control our bodies with our minds, and a strong spiritual foundation is immensely helpful. I guess you could say that my approach is basically holistic.

NR- Thanks so much for the inspirational story, any final words?

RM- Above all, don't give up!