On a Sunday afternoon, while browsing exercise videos on YouTube, a channel called yes2next caught my attention. The video featured April Hattori, the founder, exercising alongside her 84-year-old mother Aiko Sokolowski. As I watched Aiko work out, I immediately resolved to exercise more often!
But hold on, there’s much more to this channel than meets the eye. Featuring workouts for older adults, beginner exercisers, and people with limited mobility, yes2next has 327 videos; 468,000 subscribers; and over 50.6 million views to date. Below each video, you can also find motivational stories and positive comments that are posted by the yes2next online community.
A Beautiful Love Story
Years before becoming a YouTuber, April researched her family history and traced the journeys of her maternal grandparents. Her grandfather, Ryokichi Yamazi, was born in Wabuka, a town in Wakayama Prefecture, in 1900. He immigrated from Japan to America with his mother when he was 15 years old and settled in Seattle. Eager to start earning a living, Ryokichi worked in various jobs and gained experience that would later help to achieve his entrepreneurial goal of owning a business.
April’s grandmother, Kazue Kariya, was born on Vashon Island, Washington, in 1916. In those days, Vashon Island was known for its strawberries. Kazue’s family, as well as some of the other Japanese American families residing there, were strawberry farmers.
Ryokichi and Kazue met through an omiai (introductory meeting with a prospective spouse), married in Seattle in 1932, and moved to Los Angeles. They had four children; Aiko was born in 1940. During World War II with the signing of Executive Order 9066 that authorized the incarceration of Japanese Americans, the Yamazi family was interned in two camps, the Jerome Relocation Center and the Rohwer Relocation Center, both located in Arkansas.
After the war ended, the family moved to the South Side of Chicago to have access to job opportunities. “My dad found work at a candy factory and my mom found work in a T-shirt factory,” recalled Aiko. “Both worked very hard to support my three brothers and myself.” In 1950, her parents bought OK Grocery from a family named Okamoto (hence the store’s name). It was a tiny store, but business was brisk; besides the usual American goods, Japanese food items such as rice and tsukemono (pickled vegetables) were sold.
Ryokichi and Kazue’s marriage, which lasted 56 years, was a solid foundation of unconditional love, respect, and compassion. They lived in Chicago until the end of their days, but they never forgot Lake Washington in Seattle, the backdrop where their love began.
A Mother’s Devotion
Reminiscing about her childhood, Aiko said, “The 1950s were a safe and happy time to grow up. In Chicago, the Hyde Park neighborhood had many Japanese American families living there and while the parents worked, the kids bonded together.”
Aiko married at a young age and had three children: Michael, Dawn, and April. When April was a year old, Aiko got a divorce and became a single parent. Aiko’s parents were supportive of her decision and suggested that she move back home with her children. For a short time, there were four generations under one roof when her grandmothers, Kiku Yamaji and Kiku Kariya, lived with them.
To provide for her family, Aiko worked at her parents’ store, and when it was sold in 1968, she worked nights at the Continental Illinois National Bank. In 1989, she married Leonard Sokolowski and soon after, they relocated to Salinas, California, for his job. Aiko described her husband as having “a Japanese soul.” Sadly, in 2018, Lenny passed away and Aiko was suddenly on her own.
A Daughter’s Integrity
April’s interest in fitness started at a young age. As a child, she enjoyed being active and later, she took up running in high school. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in biology and went to dental school for a year, but discovered it wasn’t her passion. Journalism was a different story; she took a class and loved it. A year later, she received a master’s degree in public affairs journalism from Columbia College.
In 1991, April began her 30-year career in communications as a journalist at the Milwaukee Journal. Three years later, she was hired as the communications manager at Standard & Poor’s and in 1997, she moved to The Allstate Corporation. Her career trajectory kept rising with leadership roles that included vice president of communications at McGraw-Hill Education.
But with all of her success, April felt there was something missing. In 2016, she realized that she wanted to make a direct difference in people’s lives, so she became a certified personal trainer. While still working at her full-time job in New York, she did independent consulting in her spare time.
When her stepfather passed away in 2018, she was faced with two choices: either stay in New York or move to Las Vegas to live with her mother. This was a turning point for April who explained that she “grew up with the mindset that living with parents in their time of need is important.” The following year, she moved to Vegas.
Two Stars are Born
For six months, April worked as a fitness trainer for seniors at a local gym in Vegas. In 2020 when the pandemic hit and lockdowns were implemented, she wondered how to help older adults stay active. April came up with the idea of starting a YouTube channel and asked her mother if she would like to join her in the workouts. Aiko agreed to participate, and the stage was set for the premiere of yes2next, which was launched in May 2020.
Since then, the channel has grown tremendously. In 2021, YouTube selected yes2next as a Creator on the Rise and featured the channel in their International Women’s Day celebration. In March 2022, yes2next received the Silver Creator Award for surpassing 100,000 subscribers.
Recently, I had the pleasure of talking with these two amazing women who are every bit as friendly and genuine off-screen as they are in their videos.
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Lois Kajiwara (LK): Congratulations on yes2next’s five-year anniversary! How do you feel and what message do you have for your viewers?
April Hattori: My goal at the beginning was to help just one person stay active. It has been an unexpected gift and honor to be able to help so many people of all ages around the world get stronger and healthier. My mom and I thank all of our viewers for the privilege to make a positive impact in their lives.
Our message has always been: It’s never too late to start moving and feel better. You can get stronger by starting where you are and gradually increasing strength and stamina over time at your own pace. Try to move every day, listen to your body, and don’t overdo it. If you feel sore, rest until the soreness subsides before getting back into it.
Aiko Sokolowski: It’s hard to believe it has been five years for yes2next! But it’s been very gratifying to know that April’s goal has grown into helping not only seniors but also the “not-so-seniors” and those individuals with limited mobility and/or recovering from injuries and illness. It’s been a second purpose to my life to be a part of the workouts and to demonstrate that “If Mom can do it, so can YOU!”
LK: What is the meaning of your channel’s name?
April: I wanted to capture the spirit of being open to making healthy and inspiring choices that enable you to live life to its fullest. So “yes2next” means “say yes to your next steps to fitness and joy.”
LK: For overall health and fitness, what are the most important types of exercise?
April: All types of exercise—aerobic/cardio workouts, strength training, balance, and flexibility work—are important to stay strong and healthy. But for older adults, strength training to build muscle has a slight edge over cardio/aerobic exercise because of its impact on maintaining strength to do daily activities and prevent falls, which are the leading cause of injury and fatalities among older adults.
LK: How do you motivate people who don’t like to exercise?
April: Not motivated to exercise? The best movement is the movement you love. Find an activity you enjoy and consider inviting a friend to join you for fun, support, and accountability. Also, start small, building strength and stamina gradually. For example, move for 2 minutes one day, add on 30 seconds or a minute the next day, and keep building.
If you feel tired or soreness, rest until you feel more energy and the soreness subsides. Don’t pressure yourself to do more than you can handle. Over time, you’ll feel comfortable moving for 10 minutes or more. Consistent movement can help you get stronger and make you feel good. Check in with your body and celebrate moving every day.
LK: Please tell us about some of the awesome comments that viewers have posted.
April: Every day we hear from yes2next viewers who share how our workouts have changed their lives for the better, including losing weight, getting stronger after an illness or medical procedure, and enjoying exercise for the first time.
Aiko: All the comments are appreciated but especially those that indicate achieving important health goals by working out with us! It’s also special when we get comments expressing a bond of friendship and enjoyment by exercising with us!
LK: How did you get involved with the study being done by Dr. Dustin Hammers, associate professor of neurology at Indiana University?
April: Dr. Hammers found our videos online and thought they would be perfect to include in his research project on lifestyle interventions for adults with early-onset Alzheimer's disease (ages 40–64). Several yes2next exercise videos are being used by participants in the study.
LK: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
April: Partnering with my mom to make a difference in the lives of so many through yes2next makes my life full. Seeing her feel purpose in this chapter of her life and inspire people of all ages is a gift beyond words.
Aiko: Knowing my few minutes of working out with April are inspiring seniors and not-so-seniors to exercise to improve their quality of life! It’s never too late to begin.
LK: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?
April: One of my favorite quotes that has inspired me throughout my life is from a fortune cookie message: “Good luck is the result of good planning.” Working hard and following my passions such as becoming a certified personal trainer, has enabled me to be ready for growth opportunities. On the surface, they appear to be good luck, but in actuality, they are the result of my actions that have led me to new paths.
Aiko: “Every day is a gift, that's why it is called the present!”
LK: What are the next steps for your channel?
April: Our goal is to keep providing inspiring workouts and resources to inspire as many people as possible to get stronger and healthier to live their best lives. We believe exercise should be fun! It is truly an honor and privilege to empower people around the world to focus on their health, enabling them to do all the things they love.
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Life is like a Jigsaw Puzzle
Whether we like it or not, the only constant thing in life is change. How a person responds to change is the key, but that is easier said than done. Certainly, April and Aiko have admirably embraced change in their lives. Being private people, they said it was never their intention to seek the limelight. When I heard this, the fact that they stepped out of their comfort zones is even more impressive.
Dedicated to helping viewers find their paths to fitness, April and Aiko continue on their journey. My question for you, dear reader: Are you ready to discover your path?
Website: https://yes2next.com
© 2025 Lois Kajiwara
