Erlina wanted to avoid hip surgery. She had a decision to make about her right hip.
Surgery was on the table. So were shots. She looked at both options and said no to both of them.
“I am not doing surgery at this stage in my life. I don’t want shots. I wanna just try to figure out a way to go in another direction.”
That direction led her to Block Fitness Catalina Foothills a little over a year ago. She came out of physical therapy looking for something that would keep moving her forward. She started with three and four pound weights.
She is over 75. She is not bragging — she said so herself. But she is walking the talk.
Watch How Erlina Chose to Avoid Hip Surgery
Accepting Where She Was
Erlina describes the beginning of her time at Block Fitness with a kind of honesty that is rare.
She did not arrive with big goals or a dramatic vision. She arrived with a hip that had been through physical therapy, a body she was still learning to understand, and a willingness to start exactly where she was.
“It was about looking at possibilities. Accepting where I was in the beginning. Just even being able to hold three or four pound weights — and then working my way up into different exercises.”
That acceptance is not resignation. It is the most practical and powerful thing a person can bring into a gym. Not ego. Not expectation. Curiosity about what is actually possible from here.
And from there, a lot turned out to be possible.
What Changed — Inside and Out
The physical changes came. The hip that was headed toward surgery is not where it was a year ago. But what Erlina talks about most is something less visible and more fundamental.
“One of the most important things that I have gained is understanding what it feels like to be in my body.”
Her brain fog started going away. She started sleeping better. Her confidence grew — not the surface kind, but the kind that comes from discovering your body is more capable than you thought.
“It’s about agency. It’s about capacity. It’s about having the energy to be able to do the things that I want to do.”
She calls it spiritual. Knowing her body in this way — understanding how it moves, what it responds to, what it is capable of at over 75 — is not just physical. It is a relationship with herself that she did not have before.
That is not something a program produces. That is what happens when coaching is intelligent enough and consistent enough and patient enough to meet someone where they are and move them somewhere they didn’t expect to go.
The Coaches. The Form. The Floor.
Erlina is specific about what makes Block Fitness different for her.
“The skill of the coaches on the floor is just incredible. Education of movement is paramount to everything. It’s really about form and attention to form when you’re working out.”
She is not describing someone counting her reps from across the room. She is describing coaches who understand why the movement matters, how to teach it, and how to correct it when it isn’t right — and who bring that standard to every session.
That level of coaching is what allowed Erlina — with a hip history, starting at three pounds — to build real strength and confidence over the course of a year. Not despite the individualization. Because of it.
The Rowdy Group
And then there is the community. Which Erlina describes with unmistakable warmth and a little bit of mischief.
“We’ve become the rowdy group. We play with each other and we push each other. We make fun of each other at our age doing some of the things we’re doing on the floor.”
A year ago she couldn’t conceive of doing the things she does now. Today she is part of a group that makes her laugh while it makes her stronger.
That combination — genuine challenge alongside genuine connection — is what keeps people coming back. Not obligation. Not willpower. The fact that the session is something they actually want to show up for.
Erlina shows up. And then she gets rowdy.
Defying the Pull
She said something near the end of the video that we want to make sure lands.
“Especially when you’re aging, there’s a way in which melancholy or depression can kind of pull on you.”
She is not being dramatic. She is being accurate. The loss of physical capacity, the narrowing of options, the feeling that the body is working against you rather than with you — these are real experiences for adults over 70, and they carry real emotional weight.
Her answer to that pull is this:
“I would just really encourage that person to defy that — even if it’s just to get yourself in here to have a conversation and to see what’s possible for yourself.”
Not a promise. Not a guarantee. An invitation to find out.
Erlina found out. A year ago she was holding three pound weights and wondering if surgery was inevitable. Today her brain fog is gone, she’s sleeping better, she’s part of the rowdy group, and she is — in her own words — walking the talk.
Over 75. Walking the talk.
If Erlina’s story resonates — if you’re ready to see what’s possible for yourself — we’d love to have that conversation.
Schedule your first session at Block Fitness Catalina Foothills and let’s find out what a year can do.
Move Better. Feel Better. Live Stronger.
Quick Take: FAQ
Q: Can Block Fitness help if I’m trying to avoid surgery?
A: For many adults, progressive strength training is a legitimate alternative to or complement alongside surgical intervention — particularly for hip and knee issues. We assess your history and current capacity and build from there. We always refer out when appropriate, but in many cases the right program changes the trajectory entirely.
Q: What if I’m starting from a very low base — like three or four pound weights?
A: That is exactly where Erlina started. The starting point does not determine the destination. It just determines where the program begins. Every member at Block Fitness starts where they are.
Q: Is this appropriate for someone over 75?
A: Erlina is over 75 and does not mind bragging about it. The research is clear that progressive strength training produces significant benefits for adults well into their 80s and beyond. Age is not a disqualifier. It is a reason to start.