The New York Times “Exercise and Depression,” December 8, 2005
Some personal trainers specialize in helping the mentally ill get moving. Jeff Rutstein in Boston works with many people who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Over the last few years his business has grown in part because he is often sent doctor referrals from McLean Hospital… Marie Cotton, who is 60 and has suffered from depression for decades, is one of his clients. When she first got on the treadmill, Mrs. Cotton, a travel agent, said she was terribly afraid of falling. "Jeff always gave me a sense of security that he would not let me get hurt, which was a huge, huge thing."
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The Washington Post "Gaining the Strength to Stay Sober," September 13, 1994
"A year into sobriety, he decided to go back to the gym, but with a whole new approach to weightlifting.. And instead of grunting and staring at his physique in the mirror as he heaved up the heaviest weight possible, Rutstein selected a modest weight, closed his eyes and focused on feeling the working muscle as it contracted, then lengthened. He concentrated on his breathing, exhaling tension on each exertion and inhaling strength on each release… "I realized that the important part of exercise wasn't appearance but relieving stress and feeling better."
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Reuters "Exercise Therapist Trains Clients to Attain Healthy Body and Mind," March 30, 1994
"The usual trainers at health clubs or gyms are not attuned to the psychological difficulties of psychiatric patients and would quickly scare them away," he added. "Jeff's tact and sensitivity to this population, along with his knowledge of fitness, provide a physically and emotionally safe environment."
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The Boston Globe "Clean Straight and Pumped Up," August 29, 1994
"Rutstein tries a different approach. Instead of pushing them to go for the burn, Rutstein talks to his clients so much that they say he is like a therapist… "He is going out of his way to help people who are at their wit's end. There is no one out there like him. I've been in gyms before and, you know, they say `no pain, no gain.' With Jeff it's just the opposite. I always leave his place feeling 1,000 percent better, mentally and physically.''
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Club Business International "Niche of Need: Jeff Rutstein Trains People's Psyches," May 1993
Jeff Rutstein may be the fitness industry's best advertisement for the mind/body benefits of regular exercise… Rutstein's niche is unique in the club industry-at least for the time being. So is his understanding of that niche and of the needs and challenges of the people who comprise it; Using thebody to help the mind.
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American Health Magazine "The Best Samaritans: Strong and Sober," March 1995
What inspires personal trainer Jeff Rutstein's clients isn't his 44-inch chest or the fact that the 30-year-old could once bench-press 400 pounds. It's his recovery from a 10-year addiction to alcohol, cocaine and steroids… Rutstein realized that what worked for him could also work for others, and he started an exercise program geared toward recovering addicts [and those with depression and stress related illnesses]… "If I can help one person feel better," says Rutstein, "that's better than making a million dollars a year."
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