
THURSDAY, July 16, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- After more than a decade of driving a Boston city bus, Lorene Thomas was exhausted, overweight and depressed.
"Sitting in that seat all the time, I gained weight and had high blood pressure," Thomas said. The 64-year-old also felt traumatized after several scary incidents, including being threatened by a man with a knife.
A visit four years ago to HealthWorks Community Fitness, a nonprofit targeting lower-income women, turned her life around.
"It's just a few blocks from my house and I'd always passed by there," Thomas said. "I knew I needed to do something."
Since starting to exercise, Thomas, who retired two years ago, has lost and kept off 57 pounds, lowered her blood pressure to a normal range and now has enough energy to...