Neil Franklin's 'kaboom' fitness moment

Explosives company executive Neil Franklin's fitness 'detonation' coincided with his last alcoholic drink on 8 January 2022. "I knew that I'd got to my lowest point of health and fitness. Pictures of myself taken in the Maldives had me looking out of place. Another trigger was becoming a grandfather. You have an obligation to try and extend your life for yourself, your kids, and your grandkids," says Neil.

"But the alcohol was a big part of it. I was in bad shape. I approached a specialist physician and cardiologist to give me a full work up, including bloodwork, scans, and x-rays to establish a baseline. After a whole battery of tests, I was not only overweight at 113 kg, but my blood pressure and cholesterol were high," he says.

A vital transformation

Nine months later, this self confessed "bread, beer and burger" man had exercised and dieted himself down to 93kg. He reached his correct Vitality age (52 instead of a 62) and accumulated 22,000 Vitality points, rocketing from Bronze to Gold Vitality status.

After becoming a parkrun and jogging enthusiast, Franklin, from Centurion, was clocking up 1,000 Vitality fitness points a week. Between running, walking, using the treadmill, golf, and circuit training he'd covered 350km and spent 80 hours doing recorded exercises, burning 43,671 calories. "In March 2022, I did my first (5 km) parkrun in a time of 58 minutes. I set myself the goal of breaking 30 minutes by the end of the year. By September, I did my best parkrun in 32 minutes," he says proudly.

Franklin, a father of four adult children, battled some serious challenges before he reached his healthy goals.

Two awful years

"2020 and 2021 were terrible years: two bouts of COVID, one leading to a week in intensive care and a long recovery time. In addition, I had bursitis (a rheumatic type condition leading to severe swelling of the elbows), which needed surgery. During one of these surgeries the doctor told me that my breathing was really poor and recommended a sleep assessment. Admittedly I was sleeping really badly, and my energy was low when awake. I'd be taking something to help me sleep and then need something in the morning for energy. As it turned out, with my new exercise and diet regime I didn't need a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine," he laughs.

In September 2022 he again joined a Virgin Active gym. His Sunday gym session, topped off with a sauna and ice cold plunge bath, became the highlight of his week. "It's the best way to get rid of toxins but it also clears the mind. I do all my exercises without my cellphone and try and do most outdoors."

A close second favourite activity is earning Vitality gameboard access on a Wednesday to play for extra points or benefits. At the time of writing this, Franklin's blood pressure was healthy and his resting heart rate was so impressive that his cardiologist lowered his medicine dosage.

"It's just that dreaded BMI (body mass index) that I'm still working on. My lungs have fully recovered, and my liver and kidney function are good. I have more energy than ever. My sleep patterns are excellent, and I find myself smiling and looking forward to work. My level of functioning at work has peaked," he adds.

The benefits of the Discovery journey

To take full advantage of his new fitness status, Franklin embarked on a 'clean up' of his entire Discovery product suite, with the help of a Discovery consultant.

"I should have done this long ago but at least I'm now maximising the considerable benefits, including sizeable discounts on running shoes and fitness wear. Diamond status in 2023!" enthuses.

He enjoys a significant fuel cash back, airline flights and discounted, while his free movies, smoothies and HealthyFood benefits accompany his cash back rewards as he gets fitter.

"Emotionally and from a wellness point of view, I'm far more positive, energetic. My memory and diligence have never been better, and I feel I'm really contributing again," he adds.