Michael Landa is a purpose-driven guy. His passion is evident when he talks about his commitment to helping clients lead a healthier lifestyle.
He was the heir apparent to his father's 40-year-old construction business, but five years ago, after reading Rick Warren’s "A Purpose Driven Life," he couldn’t hold back the sense that he had a different calling.
Landa becomes intensely emotional as he recounts, "I'll never forget. Every chapter really hit me, but it was in chapter 27 or 28, he talks about following your passions in life. I knew what I had to do."
With trepidation, he presented the idea to his family. To Landa’s relief, his father was the first to support the idea, so he set out to build a new family business. That dream soon became “Purpose Driven Fitness,” located in Becks Woods Medical Center in Bear.
Both Landa, 39, and his wife, Trish, 41, are certified trainers and nutritional counselors, and the backbone of their program is a three-pronged approach which includes resistance training, cardio strengthening, and nutrition.
And to be clear, nutrition is not a euphemism for diet, Landa states emphatically, but a balance between good protein, proper carbs and healthy fats. It’s like baking a cake: all the right ingredients must be included. If you leave something out, the results won’t be so great.
Many people think they need to pursue a certain size or a number on the scale, he says, but that isn't health. The focus at Purpose Drive Fitness is wellness, and with that focus, clients are going to feel better on the inside.
“It was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself,” says Louise Salinski of Hockessin, a client for three years.
Salinski, a 56-year-old who lost 55 pounds, says her initial motivation for getting in shape was keeping up with her two grandchildren.
After six weeks of working with Landa, her skyrocketing blood pressure is under control, her energy is up, and her self-esteem has improved. Landa tells with a smile how her husband Ron came in to thank him for giving him his wife back.
Salinski agrees.
“There is more of me to give now because I have more energy and more confidence,” she says proudly.
Landa has clients as young as eight, but the majority are over 55, and some are as old as 80, thanks to the relationship that the Landas have built with the medical community. Landa discusses parameters with the doctor, and then follows up with quarterly reports.
As a doctor, Jeffrey Cramer of Delaware Family Care Associates in Wilmington, says he has come to expect good communication with the Landas. Cramer asks his patients to make a commitment to feeling better, and for those who do, Purpose Driven Fitness is an important part of the equation.
He, like several other referring doctors, has become a client himself. Chronic neck and back problems despite being in great shape at different times, convinced Cramer he needed a personal trainer.
Clients appreciate Landa’s gentle, balanced approach, a factor often missing at local gyms. Many husbands and wives come to work out as a team because it keeps them motivated and consistent.
Richard and Claudia Fischer, both 65, of Pike Creek, say they have been pleased with the Landas’ sensitivity about not overdoing it which has allowed them to stick with it and build their stamina and energy.
Margaret Anderson, 59, who trains under the Landas with her husband, Richard Rosenfeld, 65, of Elkton, says both she and her husband have improved their general fitness and strength, have lost weight, and their cholesterol levels are great, and “besides, it’s fun,” says Margaret.
"We want, ultimately, for our clients to be dedicated to themselves,” Landa says.
To contact Purpose Driven Fitness about customizing a health program for your needs, call 275-2032.
