WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – After decades of helping children receive a good education, Natalie Sherwood decided it was time to focus on herself and get serious about her health.

“I’m 80, that was my motivation because it’s now or never,” said Sherwood.

The other motivation was her son’s concern with her strength.

“My son said he noticed me holding on to things. The car, the bar in the kitchen, you know, and he kind of pushed me to do it,” Sherwood said.

Sherwood spends 30 minutes twice a week with personal trainer Vicki Maysack.

“Now that I’m older, I really enjoy working with the older population. I feel like I can relate to them, and I understand all the aches and pains and what needs to be done to help them,” said Maysack.

Like many, Sherwood didn’t know what to do on her own, but she knew she wanted to get stronger.

“I don’t know if it’s because I’m not motivated, but when I get here and she tells me to do it, I do it. But I would never just walk in here and pick out this machine and do it,” said Sherwood.

“We work on strength. We work a lot on balance, and we’ve been working with her on her core. A lot of overall mobility, you know, especially hip mobility, and then we finish it up with stretching, which is just as important as the workout,” said Maysack.

After two months both Sherwood and Maysack can already see a difference.

“She walks in here with a little bit more pep in her step and with a little bit more confidence,” said Maysack.

Sherwood says at her age it’s important to do anything she can so she’s around to enjoy her kids and grandkids, she just regrets not starting this journey earlier.

“Well, this is survival. I mean it’s this or the couch,” said Sherwood.

Sherwood says she will continue her workouts. We’ll follow her progress and update her changes and future goals in a couple of months.

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