MONTREAL — There isn’t anyone, anywhere who cannot benefit from some kind of movement and exercise. That’s the unwavering belief of Sam Maniatis, owner of Total Home Training.“Everyone, regardless of condition, regardless of circumstance, can feel better if they move,” he said.
This is one of the reasons why Maniatis began first by volunteering at Nazareth House, a residence for homeless men in downtown Montreal.
“A friend of mine is a nurse and part of the Healthy Heart Initiative, (and) told me that Nazareth House was looking for someone to work with the guys, and I immediately went over to talk to them,” Maniatis explained.“I met Sheila Woodhouse, the director, and it all began from there.”
That was just over three years ago.
Maniatis loves working with “the guys,” and feels a sense of peace when he does.
“When I’m with them, I forget about everything else,” he said enthusiastically. “I don’t think about business or my to-do list; I focus on them and hanging out, and it’s a completely different state of mind — absolutely no strings attached.”
Maniatis and members of his team go twice a week to work with the residents. They begin with light stretching and then walk for 30 minutes. After that, and depending on the weather, they work in a small park, using the apparatus in the park, exercise bands or light weights.
After half an hour, they head back to Nazareth House and have lunch.
It warms Woodhouse’s heart to see the positive effects the workouts are having on the participants.
“It’s very rewarding,” she said. “It’s not easy for these men. Just building a relationship with them takes time and patience, so when I see them with Sam and they are so happy and feeling good, well, it’s inspiring.”
Woodhouse said Maniatis never had an “us-and-them mentality” — she said he fit in immediately and gracefully. So much so that he hosts Greek Easter dinner for the residents, supplying and cooking all the food. “We believe big-time in giving back,” he said.
Many of the residents suffer from mental health issues and addiction, and almost 80 per cent smoke.
“We work with them, to the best of their ability, to teach them healthier habits, eating well, exercise,” Woodhouse said. “Even our kitchen staff is working with Sam and his team to offer healthier food choices, like adding more salads and cutting back on desserts and sugary drinks, and helping them incorporate more water into their day.”
Woodhouse is very grateful to the general community as well.
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“We work with local universities, the dentistry departments, and we have physiotherapists and social workers who come in and do their stages here and help care for the residents.
“The community is so great in helping us take good care of these men.”
For the most part, they lived sedentary lives before the program started.
“We are like a family. I see them every day and I can see how things are going and how far they’ve come,” Woodhouse said.
Maniatis has set up a room with donated items, like a treadmill and other exercise equipment, where the residents can go when the weather doesn’t co-operate. And a yoga instructor comes in once a week to give a class.
“It’s all part of a holistic approach,” said Woodhouse. “We emulate a family to reduce social isolation, which is a huge byproduct of mental health issues.”
And now, thanks to private donations, the program will absolutely be an ongoing one.
“We will be opening a new shelter with room for 30 women in December, Ann’s House, and we will offer the same type of program there as well.”
When Maniatis started, they took body weight, waist measurements and resting heart rates, and they have seen very good results so far.
“Some had resting heart rates of over 100 beats per minute (the average is 70), and now they are reduced to under 100. Guys have lost weight, but more importantly, they feel better about themselves,” said Maniatis.
One of them, Christopher, is 65 and has diabetes. Since he began working with Maniatis three years ago, his condition has improved and he has shed 16 pounds.
“I feel so good,” he said. “I’m doing pushups; I walk up Atwater, which is a very steep hill, and I am not out of breath anymore.”
But he doesn’t do the yoga.
“I have a little belly baggage,” he said with a laugh, “so some of those things aren’t for me. But that’s OK — the other stuff is.”
For Maniatis, the volunteer work is about helping an often overlooked segment of society.
“It can be a delicate situation at times,” he said. “My team has to be perceptive and know what can work and what won’t. We don’t push — we try and have fun while teaching them at the same time.”
Nazareth House has 22 full-time residents. Each week, between eight and 12 work with Maniatis and his team.
“Some days we have less, some more. It depends on them and whether they have other appointments and whatnot,” he said.
“And there are days they just don’t feel like it,” he laughed. “We can all have those days!”
Maniatis said he loves to be able to give the men a sense of normalcy.
“All their needs are so different,” he explained. “Most were so wary and guarded when we began, but now some of them are coming out of their shell. They engage with us and laugh and have fun. That’s what it’s all about.
“You start by starting,” said Maniatis — words that describe just about anything and everything so perfectly for every single one of us.
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