The balancing game
Jan. 11, 2009
Youve probably met the type. The former basketball jock recalling his glory days with a beer in one hand and a bowl of Cheetos in the other.Bob Guenther was one of those guys. At the age of 42, he was overweight, under-exercised and wondering how he got there. He actually knows. It was the long, dark winters, large dishes of comfort food, and a partying girlfrienda fertile environment for life as a couch potato. Over the years, he bought bigger and bigger pants to accommodate his girth. One day, he saw a picture of himself standing at a wedding.
I still have the picture. I thought, Holy crap, I look like shit, Guenther said. The funny thing is, when the picture was taken, I thought I was looking so cool.
He sought out help from a fitness trainer, Doug Petersen, who guided him down the path of rightousness. He lost weight and returned to the buff Bob of old. Then three years ago, he decided to take it to an entirely new level after getting a hip replacement.
He decided to incorporate balance to strengthen his core, the bodys powerhouse.
Using balance to increase core strength isnt unique or uncommon. Guenther, 48, borrowed his corelance (yes, we made up the word) from all things fitness, including yoga and pilates. In fact, most, if not all, of the area gyms incorporate strength exercises while balancing on bongo boards and balls, large and small.
But Guenther has taken corelance to new levels. Hes constantly looking for ways to make it hardera strategy thats not only good for his body, but also for his brain. Every time the brain is challenged with new ways to move, it must cut new neural pathways, said Kima Kraimer, a rolfer we interviewed on page 8.
So, heres Guenthers story:
NE: How did you get into the realm where youre at now? Were you bored with weight lifting?
Guenther: No, but I wanted to make stuff harder, and what got me crazy about it was when my niece gave me a birthday card with an old timey pictureits a guy with a handlebar moustache standing on a small ball with one foot and juggling with the other hand. It triggered in my mind, that Im going to frickin learn how to stand on those things. So I taught myself to get on thereI used a Roman chair to get up on this medicine ball, and within two weeks, I could just step up on the ball.
NE: So tell me more about this core work and balancing?
Guenther: Its pretty crazy babe. I take the bongo boards with the six-inch rollers and do curls and squatting. Its fun. Envision this: I have two big Swiss balls. The tops of my feet are on one and my hands are on another and Im doing push-ups.
After I conquer something and do a certain number of sets, then I know I have to make it harder. Its time to move on. Im always trying to figure out new things. Youve gotta play the mental game.
The other thing, I started to doIll run on the treadmill to get really tired, then Ill try to balance on the medicine ball and do my crazy stuff. Thats the mental part of balance. Im thinking, okay, my leg is doing this or that. What muscle do I have to fire up to do this?
NE: Does Jeremy Wellsthe personal trainer at Premierehelp you out?
Guenther: Whats really funny is he tries to outdo me, and I try to outdo him. Jeremy and I are putting together a balance/core class. Were telling people it will elevate their game, whether its tennis or basketball or football. You like to run, right? Ill show you an exercise that will improve your running game.
NE: Has this helped your tennis?
Guenther: Oh yeah, I can do shots in tennis now I never could have. I wish I knew this stuff in high school; I think I could have gone pro. It makes you a much better tennis player. I have one of my friends I played before I got into this. He doesnt want to play me now because he knows hell get killed.
NE: How did you lose the 25 pounds? Did you go on a diet?
Guenther: No, not really. A big part about getting into shape is choosing who you hang out with. I broke up with the girl who was big into drinking and eating. The other thing isand this is scientificyour brain doesnt immediately realize when your stomach is full. It takes awhile. So when I was trying to lose weight, Id take a bite of food and set the fork down. Then I took a drink of water. I lost weight right away. The other thing is plate size. You need to fool your brain. If you use a smaller plate, it looks like youre eating more food.
NE: Do you still drink beer?
Guenther: Oh gosh, yeah. But not every day. I can go for weeks or for a month without having a drink. This time of year will tell you how mentally strong you are. When I was at a party, they had this big long table. People were just mawing at it. Just eating everything. I had a couple of bites.
NE: Whats been the biggest change in your life, besides looking better?
Guenther: I have so much more energy. Staying in shape keeps me fired up through long hours of driving and working for Hagerty Insurance. When Im done with work, I look forward to going over to the gym and working out. Its that much fun. Then Ill shovel the driveway, then Ill go snowshoeing.
NE: Ah, the beauty of being single with no kids.
Guenther: Right, because parents have that issue of time. You feel guilty if you dont exercise, but then you feel guilty for time spent away from your kids. But I guarantee you, there is at least one hour every day that you can find for yourself. Your kids will thank you for it.
NE: So back to the benefits.
Guenther: Well, the big one is I never fall. There have been so many times Ive slipped and havent injured myself. Last week, I pulled into a gas station and I parked the car to get a cup of coffee. Im walking, and I cant see the curb because its covered with snow. So when I step on it, it throws me. So I shifted my body, moved my leg around and came down on the other side of the curb and I just kept walking. That could have really screwed my leg up.
NE: Im thinking about how important balance is as you get older. So many seniors fall, break a hip, and then its nursing home time.
Guenther: I saved an article on senior citizens and how much balance you lose as you get older because your muscles are weaker, your joints are stiffer, your reflexes are slower
NE: And then theres the problem of poor vision. My 80-year-old mom has no peripheral vision and just fell for the second time. But shes too frail to do this stuff.
Guenther: If you get past a certain point, it might be too late. You need to get yourself ready for getting oldera percentage of folks die simply because they are less mobile.
NE: And then there are people like you who are pushing the envelope.
Guenther: Ive realized its not how much weight you can lift, although I dont disrespect weight lifters. But for me, theres more to being fit. When I was at my 30th high school reunion, I did a workout with my 17-year-old nephew and hes a varsity wrestler and a varsity football wide receiver. And I kicked his ass in the gym. I killed him. He couldnt believe it. I was doing all this stuff and he didnt have the strength to do it. Since then, hes gone nuts; hes gone gangbusters.
NE: Do they have specialized balls for people who have pretty lousy balance to begin with?
Guenther: Yes, they have new Swiss balls that have weights for more stabilization.
NE: Okay, obvious question. Do you use more muscles than traditional weight lifting?
Guenther: Absolutely. You use your stabilizer muscles throughout your entire body. For one exercise, I feel like the only part of my muscle that isnt working is my head.
NE: What do you think this means for gyms around the country?
Guenther: I think they need to help keep their clients challenged and not bored. That way, they could better retain their clients and increase their memberships. And they should have certified trainers to help people learn the proper techniques to do this.
For my job at Hagerty (as the companys fleet supervisor), I go all over the country and buy a temporary membership at a gym wherever Im at. I went to a Golds gym in Carlyle, Pennsylvania. This guy came up to meI was doing curls in a squat position on a medicine ball, and he asked me, Are you in a circus? After three or four days, some of the trainers on staff were talking to meAre you a professional at this? We are so far behind on where our training should be. I told them, you can come up to speed on this really quickly, but you need the equipment.
NE: Would you say youre fanatical?
Guenther: Maybe the average person might say Im fanatical, but its a necessity for me. The long seasons can become depressing and this is what your body is really meant to do. Im rarely depressed, and this euphoric feeling is based on science. I think its 20 or 30 minutes of heavy cardio that gives you a euphoric feeling after 24 hours.
Its a Mindset
Area trainers give their top tips
Exercise should not be a do it when I have the time event. If you put it on the back burner, you will unlikely be consistent. I tell people to find excuses to get to the gym, not avoid it. Its a mindset, a lifestyle decision, or its not. There is no in between.
- Jeremy Wells, personal trainer at Premier Health and Fitness
Exercise is a mental game. Youve got to get over the idea you cant do it. Once you get over that idea, you can reach your goal, no matter what it is. The mind is far more powerful than the body.
- Arron Vertel, personal trainer at Fitness Center
The biggest thing is walking through the door. Dont worry about working out. If you get through the door, youre going to be fine. The other thing, is dont get bored. Mix it up. Do a step mill, a treadmill, a virtual reality bike, and an ellipitical. And keep in mind how good you felt afterward.
-- Clay Denman, owner of the Grand Traverse Athletic Club