Rebecca Wackler founded Wackler Wellness in June of 2003. She is an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist, and personal trainer. She received a degree in Special Education from Florida State University in 1971, and taught mentally challenged children for three years before she had her son. Teaching these children and learning the principals of behavior modification has given her a unique ability to work with special populations and personalize exercise programs when she is doing personal training or teaching.
When she moved to Los Angeles in 1993 she began to specialize in geriatric clients. Most of her clients were in their 70’s 80’s and 90’s with her oldest client living to be 105 years old. Excited about the new research on exercise and aging, she began encouraging her older clients to challenge their limits. As a result she began to see incredible strength gains. As they got stronger, they became more empowered and less depressed. They were more independent than their peers and began to feel as though they had some control over the aging process.
Rebecca ran her private personal training business for over 30 years and while she was working with her clients she became part of this senior demographic herself. Now in her 70’s she has great insight into aging in the USA. She has seen many seniors who are primarily trying to manage the side effects of their multiple medications. From her perspective, the aged, especially those over 80, are overly medicated and warehoused in special senior facilities where they are shut off from community and daily family contact. She began to ask herself why this was happening. Is there a better way?
Rebecca, who is also a published playwright, actress, and director decided to put her two careers together and she and her co-writer, Eddie Levi Lee, wrote a short, comedic film called “Catching the Bus”. This short comedic film addresses ageism specific to the USA.