Jacob Stotzky Coral Gables, Florida 6:23 p.m., Wednesday May 6
Working out during the pandemic
I’ve been a sports nut since I can remember. I love to watch NFL and college football, NBA and college basketball and professional tennis matches, particularly Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. I’m a big Heat, Dolphins and University of Miami fan.
My brother and dad are also big fans. My mom does not enjoy watching football or basketball games, however, she is a big tennis fan.
But even more than watching sports, my family and I enjoy playing them.
I was on my high school varsity basketball and tennis teams. After sustaining a really bad ACL, MCL and cartilage tear during a high school basketball practice and having surgery, I turned to a serious weightlifting and swimming regimen. For many years, I worked out obsessively and never missed a day.
My brother played tennis and lifted weights. After running for years, my mom went back to walking fast and taking Pilate classes. My dad was a fanatical workout guy, swimming miles every day, lifting weights and riding an exercise bike several times a week.
Then the corona epidemic struck, and a stay-at-home order was issued. How could I and my family stay in shape?
My parents tried walking around the Granada Golf Course but that proved difficult because so many people were doing the same thing. My brother and I tried exercise programs
posted on the internet, but that was not good enough. So, we all came up with new and different ways to exercise.
My brother became lazy and stopped exercising but then returned to exercising by watching the internet videos.
My mom started running again. She’s now up to four miles four times a week. She does online Pilate classes three times a week.
My dad became creative. He bought an Aqua Flotation Belt, which you attach around your waist to keep you afloat. He then runs in the pool in 8-foot-deep water, his feet not touching the bottom of the pool, for about an hour to an hour and a half every day. He says it’s like running without the shock of hitting the ground.
I now ride a bike at full speed for almost 45 minutes a day and then swim laps in our small pool for another 45 minutes.
We have all learned to cope with unexpected change and to keep ourselves in good shape.
Exercise helps us both physically and emotionally. You ought to try it.
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