Fitting in physical fitness
New year, new you. Maybe it’s a bit cliche, but now’s as good a time as any to think about physical fitness. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in establishing an exercise routine is lack of time. Six locals from different walks of life shared how they fit fitness into their busy lives. Schedules, exercises, goals and challenges vary, but each has chosen to make time for their fitness. Whether someone has been exercising their entire life or wants to get started for the very first time, the experiences of these six people can offer some insight into how to make time for fitness.
While owning a business
Work can take up a good chunk of time in anyone’s schedule, but the demands of a business owner are unique. Ron Koch is a staunch believer in booking time during the day for his own exercise. Which isn’t to say it’s always easy. Though he recognizes the benefits, he occasionally still has to convince himself that it’s the right choice. “Sometimes it feels selfish, but you have to be regular,” he said.
As is the case for many, Koch started thinking about physical fitness when he hit a milestone birthday and had a weight-loss goal. That was about 15 years ago, and up until 2018, he did the majority of his exercise at home. Last year, encouraged by a friend, he started working out at the gym. That change, though difficult, has helped him make a regular routine of it. His goal is to work out three or four times each week, and even if he doesn’t have much time, he’s committed to showing up and getting a short workout in to keep the routine going.
Everyone has to find their own motivation for fitness. For Koch, it’s his health, so he can be an example for and remain active with his kids and grandkids. He also added that regular exercise tends to have an impact on other areas of life — home, work, church. It makes him feel different, whether he looks different or not.
As a couple
Logan and Sara Krueger don’t always work out together, but maintaining their individual fitness is a priority in their relationship. It’s been that way since their first-ever conversation, which happened to take place in a weight room, and they intend to carry it through the rest of their lives.
Many people find accountability helpful in their exercise routine. Couples, Logan and Sara agreed, are in the unique position of having each other for that accountability, and it’s something they see as a huge advantage.
In their case, both Logan and Sara have a long history of exercise. Each played sports in high school, and in college, Logan was an athlete and Sara lifted weights on her own. A phenomenal P.E. teacher in high school had introduced her to weight lifting, teaching techniques and instilling an interest in the workout.
With competitive sports behind them, the two tend to use Beachbody workouts now. Numerous programs are offered, and they can be streamed online. For Sara, that means she can work out first thing in the morning at home. For Logan, workouts are completed at home or the gym, depending on a given day’s schedule. With busy lives, Logan aims to get 16,000 steps in each day, even if he doesn’t get a workout in. Sara tries to give herself grace for the days when a workout just doesn’t happen, committing to get one in the next day.
With young kids at home
With two sons, ages 3 and 4 1/2, at home, Katie Kramer knows how challenging it can be for a parent to make time for their own fitness once kids enter the picture. On top of that, weight gained during pregnancy is something many mothers face when getting into an exercise routine. In Kramer’s case, a desire to lose weight to be more comfortable and to like the way she looked help motivate her to get started. A friend who invited her to be a part of a fitness accountability group on Facebook was what helped her finally take a leap of faith, though.
Kramer thinks of her workouts like scheduled meetings that she has to go to. “I wouldn’t miss a meeting with my boss, so I shouldn’t miss this,” she said. She works out at home and at the gym, depending on the day. When her oldest is at preschool, she takes advantage of that time to go to the gym. At home, she tries to get her kids involved with the workouts. Sometimes they join in, and sometimes they even act as her weights.
A daily step goal of 10,000 helps keep Kramer on track, but she also pointed out that there are plenty of 20-minute workouts available, and everyone has 20 minutes they can spare in their schedule. Kramer subscribes to an online service that she describes as the Netflix of workout programs, which helps her find workouts that fit her needs.
As a farmer
Being a farmer often means physical exertion during the workday itself, but Brad Gerk shared that an additional fitness routine still has its benefits. He’ll readily admit that it’s not always easy to find time — especially depending on the season — but it is a worthwhile commitment nonetheless.
Having a setup at home means that Gerk can quickly get in a workout without any sort of travel time. He aims for 30 minutes each day, combining fast-paced walking, weight lifting, deep knee bends and stretching.
With a family history of heart disease, taking care of his body is something that’s always been on his radar. Though that served as an initial motivator, Gerk added that the exercise starts to feel good after a while. It gives him more energy, and he experiences fewer body aches when he sticks to the routine.
Those benefits come into play on the job, too. As most farmers would certainly agree, agriculture can be physically demanding, but the demands vary from day to day. During planting, that might mean handling heavy seed bags. On a day when a sprinkler gets stuck, it might mean a lot of shoveling. A regular exercise routine can make those inevitable on-the-job tasks easier to complete and recover from when they come up.
During retirement
In addition to keeping herself active, Dee Ann Dubbert helps many others in the community prioritize fitness through the water exercise classes she teaches at the swimming pool. The majority of participants are seniors, and many are making time for fitness during their retirement.
Water exercise is an activity that Dubbert believes anyone can do. It’s low-impact, doesn’t involve any swimming, and can be done without even getting your hair wet. As such an accessible activity, she said the biggest obstacle people face is simply taking the time to do it. Once people start doing it, they tend to want to continue. “You just have to get in the habit,” she added. Her particular class meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 a.m., and a separate class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
If people have experienced injuries or basic wear and tear due to age, exercising as a retiree can be difficult. That’s part of the reason Dubbert is such a fan of water exercise; it’s not hard on the body. In class, they jump and jog through the water without the impact on joints that’s experienced when doing so out of water.
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