A Letter From Co-Founder Gayla DeHart

Hello!

My name is Gayla DeHart and I am a proud owner of SPRINGWELL Exercise Clinic. I am a business owner, have a Ph.D. in Psychology, and I am an executive coach and a raving fan of SPRINGWELL because I see how it makes a difference in people’s lives.

My husband, John DeHart, and I met the Founder of this business, Sara Hodson several years ago when she moved into the office next to the head office of Nurse Next Door Homecare Services, a health care franchise system that John co-founded in 2001.

Sara is a dynamo and has more energy and enthusiasm than almost anyone I know. Like John, she is a true entrepreneur. She saw a need for supervised exercise, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work. She built a business with a strong culture of caring about our members and attracts talented, qualified team members to support the formation of healthy habits for people who struggle with their health.

Change is hard. It is easy to assume that once a person hears from their doctor that there are serious health issues, or a high risk, that this news inspires dramatic and permanent change. But this is not the case. Human beings are not wired that way. The brain is a busy organ and likes to use the path of least resistance whenever possible. This is a functional adaptation because life would be too overwhelming if the brain did not operate that way. So the forces of nature strongly pull us to the Status Quo. In addition, if one does not like to exercise, is scared to exercise, or doesn’t feel confident about using their bodies in this way, it is easier to avoid than to address these fears. If someone is also being asked to change the way they eat, which is something extremely habitual and ingrained, we are further asking them to leave their comfort zone for the great unknown. They have probably attempted and abandoned healthier eating plans in the past.

At SPRINGWELL, we get to partner with our members and help them feel safe and supported in this difficult, scary, and life-changing process. We stick with them through the ups and downs- start low and go slow. We get to hear stories of terminally ill dads who were able to dance with their daughters at graduation because SPRINGWELL helped to optimize the quality of their remaining days and weeks of life. We get to hear stories of mothers who were depressed and sitting on the couch crying and watching TV while their daughter looked on helplessly, who were able to gather the strength, with the help of the SPRINGWELL team, to make new habits that changed the lives of the entire family. We get to hear stories of members who have been able to reduce or eliminate their use of prescription medication and feel free and hopeful about their quality of life and their future.

The members’ stories are a constant inspiration and I feel so fortunate to be a very small part of this purpose-based organization.

Gayla DeHart, Ph.D. Psychology
SPRINGWELL Exercise Clinic Co-Founder