LiveWell Health: Integrating state-of-the-art sports technology into senior health and wellness

LiveWell Health’s founder Andrew Sokolowski is passionate about using exercise as medicine for the ageing population. He’s an exercise physiologist, holds a Masters in Gerontology and is a self-professed data enthusiast. His philosophy is to take the technology, science and practices of how professional athletes are managed and use them to make a difference in the average person’s life. In 2019, then still a sole provider, Andrew introduced VALD technology into his business. Since then, he has experienced significant growth which he believes would not have been possible without his VALD systems.  

He’s seen significant improvements in his business’ offerings: 

• Measuring the previously un-measured: being able to assess strength objectively and consistently, something which was not previously possible.
• New physiological insights: shedding light on deficits in their members, helping to better target interventions and challenge traditional management strategies.
• Improved client engagement: greater enthusiasm and improved uptake of exercise programs.  

“The amount of times we have heard “we’ve never seen anything like this before, this is amazing” has become too many to count.” 

This has also translated into business results, including: 

• 500% increase in referrals.
• 645% increase in revenue.
• Staff growth from 1 to 10 and significant increase in staff engagement and confidence.

Andrew shares a lot of his great work on LinkedIn. We reference some of his posts throughout this article, but we would also encourage readers to follow Andrew’s journey themselves. He is passionate about the power of data – particularly how to translate this into action that positively impacts his clients – and he is generous about sharing his experiences with the industry.

My Journey as an Exercise Professional   

Andrew Sokolowski – Founder and Director, LiveWell Health 

After an athletic career in high school, I searched for a way to engage my competitive spirit and passion for exercise. As I began my Exercise Physiology degree (first at Florida Gulf Coast University and then continuing on to Bowling Green State University), I also started CrossFit both as a participant and as a coach, where I could put my degree into action to help people. However, upon graduation I was torn: either continue down this path, or go down more of a medical route – as a physical therapist. 

I chose physical therapy, although I was not fully committed. During my internship I came to realize it wasn’t quite for me. I wanted something more, something different – it was at that time that I noticed a void in the healthcare system. Many who were undergoing physical therapy ended up relapsing months later and needed re-treatment. What if I could use my experience and training to prevent that? What if I could continue the progress made by physical therapy teams to limit re-treatment? Better yet, what if I could prevent therapy in the first place through preventative exercise?  

I pursued this very avenue by starting LiveWell Health, beginning as a sole provider aiding the aging population. Since LiveWell’s conception I have completed a master’s degree in Gerontology so that I could better understand the aging process, and we have grown our team to include 10 additional exercise physiologists. A few years later, we have become the leading provider in the southwest Florida area. Fortunately, as I write this here in 2023, we have our eyes on expansion and I believe a great deal of that is due to our processes that have gone above and beyond traditional healthcare, with VALD playing a huge role.  

I believe a great deal of [our growth] is due to our processes that have gone above and beyond traditional healthcare, with VALD playing a huge role. 

What Sets LiveWell Health Apart 

Our Service

At LiveWell Health, we provide a true concierge-level service. Not only do we travel to each and every one of our members, but we have neutralized many of the nuances that exist in government-funded therapy.   

First and foremost, our members have a structured schedule established early in their treatment journey, which is maintained as long as the member prefers. Second, we are not constrained based on insurance guidance and guidelines, which means we can be creative when it comes to bettering patients’ health.  Lastly, we believe in holding our members to a certain level of expectation, just as they do us. When expectations are set on both sides, outcomes improve. 

… we believe in holding our members to a certain level of expectation, just as they do us. When expectations are set on both sides, outcomes improve. 

Health Technology 

In 2019, I was in search of a way to better evaluate strength in the aging population, in order to understand our patients better.  

Until then, the only way I could do this was to establish a one-repetition maximum (1RM), or – playing it a little more safely – establish a 10RM in order to approximate a 1RM. Sure, this might work for the highly motivated aged individual, but what about someone who is new to exercise? For such an individual, a maximal effort test at initial evaluation will likely be an unpleasant experience, and just as likely turn them off exercise entirely.  

I was in search of a way to better evaluate the strength of the aging population. Until then, the only way I could do this was to establish a one-repetition maximum (1RM), or – playing it a little more safely – establish a 10RM in order to approximate a 1RM.  

After months and months of contemplation, I decided to invest in VALD. We were at a very crucial point in which our member population was beginning to get more and more diverse. We needed a way to measure their strength, along with many other metrics that would help us assess current and future members. 

After months and months of contemplation, I decided to invest in VALD…. We needed a way to understand strength, along with many other metrics that would help assess current and future members. 

As I have come to learn, the healthcare industry is lagging. Many of the assessments today are the same ones that existed decades ago. In part, this is due to the rules and regulations of government-funded therapy programs, but also because many of the measurements used in data collection and research could historically only be conducted in a lab with expensive equipment. There was no place for precise measurement in the clinical setting, until VALD. 

… many of the measurements used in data collection and research could historically only be conducted in a lab with expensive equipment. There was no place for precise measurement in the clinical setting, until VALD. 

How Have Our Team & Members Benefitted from VALD 

Our Members 

The VALD technologies have helped us as clinicians understand movement at the individual joint level. We can test with DynaMo to collect – with great accuracy I might add – and understand objective data, which allows us to create and implement exercise programs with ease. It also allows us to better verbalize our findings with patients and families. 

“Your father is quite weak in this area”, doesn’t quite cut it anymore.  Now we can provide meaningful data insights to say: “When you compare your father with others in this cohort you can see he generates 1.04 Newtons of force per kilogram of body weight, the average among skilled nursing residents is 1.26 N/kg”.

“Your father is quite weak in this area”, doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Now we can provide meaningful data insights to say: “When you compare your father with others in this cohort you can see he generates 1.04 Newtons of force per kilogram of body weight (N/kg), the average among skilled nursing residents is 1.26 N/kg”. With that said, if we want him to be ambulating independently once again, we must focus at the individual joint level with a progression into functional movement.” This resonates with members far more effectively.

The use of the DynaMo in combination with ForceDecks allows us to distinguish functional strength from joint strength. More often than not we see individuals who produce force greater than the thresholds set by skilled nursing residents when viewing at the joint level, but when we compare them with our internal data with regard to squat force and squat power (i.e. functional movement) it’s often completely the opposite. If force can be produced at the individual joint level, but not in functional movement, that is a huge concern when working with the aging population. 

If force can be produced at the individual level, but not in functional movement, that is a huge concern when working with the aging population.

Our members reap the greatest benefit, because through measurement we become better providers. With more information at hand, we can establish better strategies to accomplish attainable goals, and do so at an ongoing basis. VALD technologies are easily transported, so when we feel a progression or regression may have occurred, we can readily reassess and divert course if needed. Our members are not left wondering whether they are making progress – the data can confirm it. 

VALD technologies are easily transported, therefore when we feel a progression or regression has occurred, we can readily reassess and divert course if needed. Our members are not left wondering whether progress is being made – the data can confirm it.

Our Team 

Through the use of health technology, we can also begin to establish our own unique protocols. No longer do we have to await the most recent article of evidence. If we have a particular hypothesis, or idea, we can measure the data before and after implementation. We can also validate our thought processes, and improve them.  

A recent example of this – we were questioning hand grip strength’s reputation as the most functional strength measurement for aging populations. It has been highly regarded in research, but in my opinion simply due to its ease of measurement rather than its true applicability. I say this because we recently conducted an internal review that found more than half of our members reported handgrip strength measures at 125% greater than lower body power output (when normalized to body weight).

Again, it is my belief that functional ability is better measured using squat metrics, and I feel as though my beliefs may slowly be coming to fruition as we work through our data more and more. The use of VALD technology allows us the freedom to test and implement various strategies that might not otherwise have been tested. This is especially helpful as the use of exercise as a healthy aging strategy is just beginning to catch on as we see life expectancy continue to rise.

An internal review that found more than half of our members reported handgrip strength measures at 125% greater than lower body power output (when normalized to body weight).

A Shift in Acceptance

Physicians

The early months of LiveWell Health’s existence proved to be quite challenging. We had zero differentiation, except perhaps education and experience, but our referral sources had no way of knowing that unless they took a chance on us. Sure, some did, and we began to develop strong relationships with prominent physicians in the area. Then we adopted VALD health technologies. Our differentiation among other providers in the area became as clear as day.Physicians often rely on physical proof. For example, a physician might schedule a blood panel to review various biomarkers. As the results come back, he or she might begin a statin or a diuretic protocol to alleviate an elevated biomarker. After a few months there might be another blood panel and the results can be easily understood: was the issue resolved with medication or not?I believe physicians saw that same thing when it came to our assessment and reassessment process. No longer did they have to rely on subjective information in drawing their clinical decisions.

We had zero differentiation, except perhaps education and experience, but our referral sources had no way of knowing that unless they took a chance. Then we adopted VALD technologies. Our differentiation among other providers in the area became as clear as day.

They were able to read through an assessment, clearly understand the patient’s strengths and weaknesses, and recommend our services. The same can be said about a reassessment – if the patient presents negative feedback in their subjective measures but the physician sees objective progress, they are likely to tell the patient to persist, as objective progress has been made, and it is only a matter of time until the subjective progress follows.

Other Allied Health Professions

Being in the senior care industry, we work with a number of providers: most commonly physicians, but also skilled nursing homes, senior care (caregiver) agencies, home healthcare agencies and outpatient physical therapy clinics. Prior to implementing VALD’s technologies, we were seen as “just another group of personal trainers” (I must say, though, that I hate that the term personal trainer carries a negative connotation).After we described our processes and protocols with each of the various providers we were looked upon very differently. We were seen as a true partner, and could easily measure the impact we were having on their patients, clients and members.

We were seen as a true partner [to other health professionals], and could easily measure the impact we were having on their patients, clients and members.

Our Growth

Numbers 

In the early stages of our business, we saw minimal growth from week to week, and it felt it would be a challenge just to add another member to our team. As word spread, the growth sped up, but we were still just walking along.  

Following our implementation of VALD technologies and gaining acceptance from other providers, we have seen exponential growth. Our monthly referrals have increased as much as 500% when looking at the years prior to VALD, and as long as our team grows along with the member growth we’ve been able to avoid a waitlist, but we predict one being established in the near future.  

In the same period our revenue has grown 645%, through the combination of excellent service via health technology along with our team’s professionalism, expertise and progress among members in the community. 

Following our implementation of VALD health technology and acceptance from providers above, we have seen exponential growth. Our monthly referrals have increased as much as 500% when looking at the years prior to VALD. 

Self-Confidence  

Perhaps most importantly, our confidence as providers has drastically improved. In a time in which personal trainers are looked down upon in the healthcare world, VALD technology has allowed us to stand behind our systems and protocols.  

How? Because we have data to support it! 

Winning the Contract  

In southwest Florida, one of the most common professions – alongside real estate – is in personal training. We knew we would be competing with many others, so we needed to find our edge.  

One way was to specialize in the aging population. We do not accept anyone into our practice younger than 55, unless they are living with a chronic condition, deeming them among the special population. Our focus on this particular niche has enabled us to earn the label of experts in our field.  

Once VALD technologies were implemented into our practice we had another edge. Our investment in technology has paid for itself many times over. In many instances we have won a contract with an individual member or a local community based on our technology alone. The amount of times we have heard “we’ve never seen anything like this before, this is amazing” has become too many to count. There have also been distinct instances in which another provider has assessed a patient prior to us, but after a VALD assessment, more often than not they immediately sign up with our team. 

Our investment in technology has paid for itself many times over. In many instances we have won a contract with an individual member or a local community based on our technology alone.

If you would like to know more about how to integrate VALD’s human measurement technology into your organisation to help with the engagement of your clients, please reach out here.