Patti Hei: Get up, show up!
Patti Hei is a workout fanatic and she isn’t afraid to tell you about it. Hei may never actually be happier than when she is getting her sweat on! Courtesy photo
Hei has taught circuit training for several years.
At 64 years old, Patti Hei still has better push-up form than most people half her age.
Age is just a number, and for self-proclaimed “exercise freak” Patti Hei, it might mean even less.
The 64-year-old ad sales rep for the Shoshone News-Press has been in freak-mode for nearly 40 years, and she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
“I’m just a person who wants to stay healthy and strong,” Hei said.
Hei’s journey really began taking shape with Claudia Laskey (last name now Skogen — Skogen used to teach dance and various aerobics classes in Shoshone County), who taught her California Dance Aerobics. Before too long, Hei was teaching it herself.
“I used to go, oh good Lord, like four times a week,” Hei said. “I just loved it, so she had me start teaching it. I probably taught six classes a week for eight years.”
Hei parlayed her love of exercise and fitness into an actual career as she began working at SCAR (Sports, Conditioning, and Rehabilitation) Clinic in Wallace.
The facility had a full gym with top of the line fitness equipment, as well as a pool for rehabilitation and physical therapy.
“I worked there until East Shoshone Hospital shut down,” Hei said. “Then I went to Shoshone Medical Center and worked in their new fitness center Heartworks.”
Taking full advantage of the gym and facilities was just one of the perks for Hei during her time with Heartworks and before too long she started branching out into the physical therapy and wound care realm.
She remained at Heartworks until 1999, when she made a dramatic change in careers, becoming a flight attendant.
Traveling doesn’t always allow folks time to get a workout in, but Hei’s employer made sure that she had access to a gym.
“They always made sure to get us hotels with gyms in them,” Hei said. “I was running an awful lot back then. I had run marathons and half marathons (one full marathon and four half marathons) so running was a big part of my daily routine at that time.”
Hei was a flight attendant for a decade before she called it quits, but in doing so she found her way back to her roots.
“I went to work for the fitness center in Smelterville teaching circuit training classes and many others,” Hei said.
Hei managed and helped grow Shoshone Medical’s Fitness Center for several years before coming to work at the News-Press in advertising, but she hasn’t let her desk and computer keep her from continuing to focus on her exercise and fitness goals.
“It’s always just been really important for me to stay healthy,” Hei said. “I walk my dog every morning, I’ll ride the bike, but I still really like to run. I probably still run three to four days a week now, but it depends on the time of year.”
Hei has taken advantage of the Silver Valley’s many natural tools as well, utilizing the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes regularly.
In fact, during the summer months it’s not uncommon to find her somewhere along the trail between Wallace and Kellogg during one of her daily runs.
“I either go from here toward Wallace or Kellogg and it’s usually 5 to 6 miles at a time,” Hei said. “I’m not very fast, that is unless I run into a snake along the trail.”
Hei maintains a healthy, not overly strict diet consisting of high proteins, lots of veggies, and minimal sweets which has been effective for her, as well as allowing her to enjoy some social alcohol if the occasion calls for it.
One of Hei’s biggest tips though is to consume a lot of water.
“I want to be able to get around well, that’s probably one of my main reasons for staying healthy as I’ve gotten older,” Hei said. “I want to be active though. I’ve gained weight, but what can you do, it happens. I’ve lost weight, I just keep working.”
Old or young, skinny, overweight, no matter what your situation may be, Hei has the same advice for anyone looking to begin a fitness journey.
“Take it one day at a time,” Hei said. “So many people look so far down the road and try to plan out where they’re going to be in a month, two months, or even a year. I say, ‘Get up and show up!’ It’s not about speed, it’s about the work. You need to figure out what you want. You want to get in shape, you want to bulk up muscle, you want to work on cardio and endurance, then you need to do the research and figure out what will work best for you.”
Age may slow most people down, but Patti Hei defies that logic daily and she has no plans of slowing down.