The Longevity Life Plan

About

Cliff Long, President and CEO, Longevity Studios Thanks for checking out the Longevity Lifeplan Blog. I’m Cliff Long and I’ve worked in the health and fitness industry for the past 19 years. I started this blog to provide insights and highlights on current health and wellness information. Another goal I have is to clear up some common misperceptions that exist in this area, and to provide some perspective on developing paradigms that can lead to personal success and optimal health. The posts on this blog will range from basic fitness tips to matters of spirituality. I love helping people “unleash potential” and have designed my life so that my passion is also what I do for a living.

You may think what I write is completely wrong. If you do, I think that’s great. Ultimately, I want you to question, seek answers, and find your own path. The postings here are my own and do not necessarily represent Longevity Studios positions, strategies, or opinions. If you agree, disagree, or have something to add to the discussion, please leave a comment when you visit the blog.

My experience working in fitness started in 1990 with my first job as a fitness instructor at the Body Shop Health Club. I was concurrently pursuing a degree in Kinesiology at the University of Maryland. Upon graduation, I moved into the fitness director position at the Body Shop and started my real education with self teachings and a commitment to life-long learning. The Body Shop was a small organization and allowed me to develop many facets of business, managerial, and technical skills at the same time. My supervisor at that time, Chris Cregan, left such an impact on me that 17 years later, I sought him out to open up Longevity Studios.

From 1993-1994, I worked at health clubs such as Old Town Athletic Club, in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area as personal trainer. In 1994, I joined the team at One to One Fitness as a personal trainer. During my time at One to One, I was mentored and worked with some of the best trainers in the D.C. area. I refined my skills and began to specialize in post-rehabilitation exercise and sport-specific conditioning.

By 1998, I was ready to grow again and left One to One to become the wellness coordinator for the College of Southern Maryland (CSM). I had always felt there was something missing from my personal training, but it wasn’t until this position enlightened me about the importance of developing the other elements of wellness, that I found my own services beginning to to flourish with greater results. The development of wellness programs and the instruction of classes at CSM enabled me to expand my ability to better deliver health and fitness information.

Being successful as the wellness coordinator, in 2001, I was promoted to Director of the Department of Wellness, Fitness, and Sports for CSM. I developed the vision, led, and orchestrated the department’s activities for a tri-county region in Southern Maryland. I had a wide range of health and fitness programming, from “tots” classes in the pool to credited wellness courses for degree-seeking students.

I had continued to perform personal training part-time with various companies, but in late 2001, I started Longevity Personal Training (LPT).

This company was based on the delivery of a high level of personal training services, but also incorporating information about developing the other components of wellness. In 2002, I was certified as a Holistic Lifestyle Coach II, (formerly Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach) from the CHEK Institute and began incorporating a coaching component into the company. In 2003, I changed roles at CSM to Wellness Manager. In that position, I could concentrate more on areas that better suited my passions and interests. I developed and taught Personal Trainer Fundamentals, a course that prepared students to take the American Council on Exercise’s (ACE) personal trainer exam. I also created a development/mentorship program for students working in the college’s fitness center. The change at CSM allowed me to increase my activity at Longevity, which had essentially become my true interest.

In 2007, Chris Cregan and I became business partners and we opened Longevity Studios in La Plata, MD. We specialize in human performance consulting, corporate wellness, wellness education programs, and group fitness.

The changes I’ve seen during my 18 years in this industry have been nothing short of revolutionary. We’ve moved from the bodybuilding-dominated-physical-conditioning realm to a greater understanding of anatomy and physiology. We’ve seen a merging of techniques used by personal trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors, and other movement specialists. I’ve seen the emergence of a new field of wellness and a shift to back to personal responsibility for one’s own health. We’re just starting to understand how the mind and spirit contribute to greater physical health and, when linked properly, lead to overall personal success and happiness. I hope this blog proves to be a valuable resource for health, fitness and wellness news and information. I know each of you has different challenges and needs, but as someone once said, “what is most personal is most general.” If some of this information isn’t specific to you, there’s always a friend, co-worker, or family member that will benefit.

If you’d like more information about Longevity Studios, or more health, fitness and nutrition news and information, please check out the following links:

If you ever have fitness questions, please ask us! You can leave a comment here on the blog, join the discussion on Facebook, or send us a comment using the contact form on our website.