Dr. Onyedikachi Ibeji, the owner of Ony-X Fitness Therapy, has experience across the world of fitness and beyond. But if there’s one word that best describes his ventures, it’s passion. He’s worked with countless people since entering personal training in 2001, and his enthusiasm and care have been invaluable in their fitness journeys. If he hung up his gym wear now, he’d be leaving a remarkable legacy on health and wellness in the US.
So he’s probably one of the best people to give advice on a topic everyone comes across at some point in their lives: occupational fitness. The field is his wheelhouse; he even obtained a doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 2023. In short, it’s all about using innovative methods to achieve your full potential inside and outside the gym.
With inspiration from onyx stones, which he believes can reduce your stress levels, enhance your memory, and bring balance to your mind, here are Dr. Ibeji’s three stages of occupational fitness:
1. Gain fitness
When targeting occupational health, the key is to always focus on fitness. Set a clear goal early to prevent you from getting distracted. Build your fitness levels to set yourself up for sustainable health and reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes. Over the years, Onyedikachi has developed a few fun activities to keep his clients on track with their fitness goals.
“Ony-X created an Adventure Bootcamp Series, the first of which was a D-Day-style obstacle course called ‘Beach War,’” he shared. “We also created the ‘ESCAPE’ event: a haunted house/escape room/scavenger hunt-style fitness boot camp attended by over 200 participants.”
The owner’s other pursuits, like personal training, community programs, and health fairs, also fall under the occupational therapy banner, helping people of all backgrounds to fulfill their potential. Gaining fitness is the primary and most important aspect of the program.
2. Sustain optimal health
A different doctor from Compton, CA, once said: “Remember, anybody can get it—the hard part is keeping it.” While he may not have referred to occupational fitness specifically, it rings true here. You’ve put in the hard work. Now it’s time to use your energy to maintain your gains outside the gym.
If you want to sustain your optimal fitness level, you need to think about it in every aspect of your life. We’re talking about managing your medications, checking your blood sugar, and understanding the signs and symptoms of illness and underperformance. But not like you ordinarily would—your aim here is fitness, and you’ll get the most out of your occupational therapy if you keep your mind oriented around it.
3. Regain your peak
In an ideal world, you’ll have sustained occupational fitness so successfully that you’ll never have to regain it. But occasionally, unforeseen things do happen. Onyedikachi has a wealth of experience helping veteran communities re-familiarize themselves with wellness, aided by his own time served in the military during the Iraq War.
For people who have endured physical or mental traumatic events, it’s best to start small. The personal trainer suggests regaining occupational fitness, beginning with household tasks, such as washing the dishes or making your bed. Then, work your way back up to where you left off.
The Ony-X owner promotes a fitness and wellness center encompassing veteran surf therapy, prosthetic limb therapy, and a future hand therapy service. His first big move on the global stage was inventing ‘Parkinson’s Boxing,’ a form of exercise for sufferers of the disease.
While the future looks bright for Dr. Onyedikachi Ibeji’s personal training business, his corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs continue to steal the spotlight. He donates to philanthropic non-profit organizations, such as the 482nd EOD Family Foundation for veterans, and regularly works with community initiatives. But even if he gave all that up today, there is innumerable value in his efforts to gamify fitness and make it accessible to everybody.
