Strong enough to lift heavy grocery bags? Afraid of falling? This program can help.

A year ago, Anne Gautsche worried about falling and couldn’t do squats as part of her exercise routine without help.

Now, Gautsche, 63, hoists water jugs to her dispenser and travels to her brother’s farm where he is recovering from heart surgery and she lifts 50-pound bags of feed for the cattle.

Gautsche said she enjoys exercise such as riding her bike and running, but that wasn’t enough to keep her strength up.

“I had two bad falls last spring. I could always get up, but I worried about falling. I thought I was pretty strong,” she said.

But Gautsche realized she needed to make a change.

She used Facebook and searched online until she found Janecek Strength and Conditioning, a gym on Airport Freeway in Bedford that caters to people over 40.

John Janecek, 52, who runs the gym with his wife, Kristi, turned his personal crusade of keeping in shape to a mission of helping others who are over 40.

The weight training helps people build strength so that they can continue to do tasks and household chores as they get older without fear of falling and injuring themselves.

“I have people coming in who are in their 50s, 60s and 70s saying, ‘I’m tired of falling down. I can’t carry my groceries anymore,’” Janecek said.

“Helping people get their lives back means a lot to me,” he said.

Melody Phillips, an associate professor of kinesiology at Texas Christian University said maintaining strength is important at any age.

“We start losing strength not because of age, but it is more related to inactivity,” she said.

“We are not on the tennis team, and we don’t go white water rafting. WE get busy raising families, and that’s why it’s important to continue exercising,” Phillips said.

She added that it is never too late to start exercising and that it will reduce risks such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other conditions.

Meanwhile, Janecek has been a training coach since his college days, and has worked in weight rooms at colleges such as the University of Nebraska and Vanderbilt.

He came to Texas in 2000 because of the teacher shortage and taught physical education. He was a strength coach at Harwood Junior High and Euless Trinity High School during the time when the Trojans won three state championships.

Last year, he decided to open his gym specifically for people over 40.

Janecek said many people think that walking around the mall will keep them fit and build their strength, but that type of exercise is not going to help people develop the strength to lift heavy grocery bags or get out of the car without help.

Bob Crawford, 75, started working with Janecek about two months ago to help him build strength. He is battling kidney cancer and recovering from knee replacement surgery.

Crawford and his wife, Carole, came to Bedford after their Rockport home was severely damaged by Hurricane Harvey.

“I have a lot of sinking spells during the day,” Crawford said. “But when I come here, it’s like getting an injection. I really do feel better,” he said.

Carole Crawford said Janecek designed a special exercise plan for her husband.

“He is right there and is hands-on, guiding Bob with moving or helping him with stability,” she said.

“Bob’s doctors are excited as he has doubled his bench press. It doesn’t matter how he feels when he gets up. He knows he wants to be here because it makes him feel better.”

This story was originally published August 16, 2018 at 11:37 AM.