ORYX WORX
BIG VISION
FOR BOLD BODIES
I'm not coaching you from the far side of anything.
Here's my year: three unexpected falls, strength training, parents and students aging, saying goodbye to old dogs and hello to a new puppy, still feeling 30 inside at 56. I've been searching for language for a season of life that doesn't come with enough maps. Maybe you have too. That's the reason I do this work.
Not because I've got aging figured out — because I'm in it, paying attention, and unwilling to pretend the footing hasn't changed.
No. 01
OUR PURPOSE
Lately I’ve been realizing the footing changes here: middle age, the need for strength training and the desire to stay capable... I think I’m looking for language for the second half of life — not decline, but adventure under new conditions. I still feel 30 inside. My body occasionally objects. Maybe that’s not denial so much as translation.
The footing changes here. But there’s beauty too. Come on! You're the same traveler on new terrain.
No. 02
Our APPROACH
We're not chasing soreness. We're building capacity. Progressive overload takes time and patience, and honestly, may seem a little boring — but what it gives back to your life is not boring at all. If you feel strong but all stove up, we'll work on mobility and recovery too; a strong muscle is a relaxed and supple one. I won't rush you. I might slow you down if you've got bootcamp culture in your blood. And if you're afraid you're too far gone — no one who's still breathing is too far gone. There's an approach for everyone.
We work weekly, monthly, or as you need. This isn't a program you finish. It's a lifelong practice that changes as you do.
No. 03
OUR
METHOD
I coach out of a micro gym off the back of my house. Weights, a hang bar, a box, and a rack.
We'll discuss: How you're feeling? What are you already doing? Any pain, medical care, anything you've been told to avoid? How's your sleep, fueling? And the real question: what are we training for? A trip. A sport you miss. Getting on the floor with your grandkids. An adventure. Comfort on the job.
Then we move a bit and see how it feels, and build a program together — I mean together. I'll tell you what we're doing and why. If something doesn't agree with you, we find another way. You'll have a say, and you'll confirm it's something you'll actually practice.
No yelling. No shaming. No mirrors, no weigh-ins.
THE ORIGIN
STORY
I've called a lot of places home, but life started on the coast of Maine. Fog horns my were bedtime lullaby. I'd kick my little legs, delighting in the call and response: kick, horn, kick, horn, kick, horn....
In 2003, I became a caregiver for my father at the end of his life—a long and life-shaping experience. It brought into focus what I now center in my work: movement as medicine—for caregivers, for hard-working bodies, and for anyone navigating the second half of life.
Maybe you don’t consider yourself “aging,” but you’ve started to notice changes: slower recovery, more stiffness, or a wobble in your balance. You still feel like yourself—just maybe not as steady or strong as you used to. That’s where I come in.
It’s nice to have someone who understands who we are and how we want to get on with our lives.”
Whether you're staying active on land or sea, caregiving for others, or simply want to keep doing what you love for years to come—this work is for you.
I now live in Midcoast Maine with my husband John (a commercial fisherman), his daughter, his mother, my mother, and two good dogs. We grow a bit of food on land and oysters in the cove at the end of our street. Life here on the working waterfront continues to shape how I think about strength, resilience, and recovery—especially for people whose labor asks a lot of their bodies.
I’m currently collaborating with U. Maine Cooperative Extension’s AgrAbility and FishAbility programs, helping aging, injured, or ill fishermen, farmers, and loggers continue their work through thoughtful movement support.
If you're looking for ways to move smarter—not harder—let's talk.
I'm Antonia (Toni), owner of Oryx Worx.
what I'm known for
happy introvert
weekend PLANS
Walk/run
KNOWN TO SPLURGE ON
Art
MY FAVORITE PLACE TO HOLIDAY
Scotland
ALWAYS ORDER ME A
single malt
ENTIRELY UNDERRATED
early dinner