HEALTH and Wellness
Exercise improves body, mind, spirit and marriage
By John Booth* and Kay Panovec
A proper diet and regular exercise are two obvious keys to a healthy lifestyle, but for Church of the Savior Pastor Ed Fashbaugh, there’s an indispensable third element as well: His wife Amy.
“Amy and I have both been interested in fitness for a long time,” Fashbaugh said – though he went on to add that “her interest has been active for most of her adult life while I have had a ‘passive’ interest for most of mine.”
That passivity, he recalled, led him to actually avoid physical examinations for a few years because he knew his lifestyle “was not producing a fit body.” Eventually, he was required to make that doctor’s visit, and, he said, “There was no hiding it anymore. I had to start changing my diet and my level of activity.”
Fortunately, he didn’t have to do it alone: Once they’d conquered the toughest hurdle – “the decision to start today ... not tomorrow ... not Monday, but today” – the Fashbaughs joined Weight Watchers as a way to remain accountable for their food consumption and to relearn healthy eating habits. They also began a shared exercise routine.
“Thankfully, we did this slowly!” Fashbaugh said. “When we began jogging outside it had been a long time since I had run more than one mile. Amy was already an avid jogger so she decided to run with me and encourage me along the way. I’m so glad she did, because I don’t think I would have kept this up had I done it on my own.”
With Amy’s encouragement and support, Fashbaugh met a series of gradual goals: running a mile and a half; finishing a five-miler; losing 10% of his weight, then another 10%, and then another.
He measured his running progress not only in distance, but against his ability to converse with his wife.
Early on, Amy did most of the talking, since Fashbaugh was so winded he could barely respond. But, he said, “After about eight weeks I was finally in good enough shape to talk and jog at the same time. We continued in this pattern until we reached the five-mile goal. That was such an awesome feeling the day I ran my first five miles.”
Now, they handle those five-milers five days a week and visit the YMCA three days for weight training. And even when Fashbaugh is at work, he strives to take a short hourly break to walk around. “It’s amazing how many steps you can get in with just five minutes every hour,” he said.
But the Fashbaughs have found that the time spent making their bodies healthy has improved the health of their relationship as well.
“We made a commitment to each other to get healthy together in body, mind and spirit,” Fashbaugh said. “If I’m running outside with Amy then this is our special time to be present to each other. Our shared exercise has been one of the best things that Amy and I have ever done for our marriage.
“When we jog outside we are able to talk about everything: the kids, our day, things that need to be done, our dreams and whatever else comes to mind. It is a full hour of ‘just us’ time and it has helped our marriage in a wonderful way.”
Together, the Fashbaughs have altered their exercise habits, their diet, and the way they think about those aspects of life.
“One of the things I have discovered is that in creating a more fit life I’ve had to look at those emotional and psychological issues that had contributed to my less than healthy prior fitness level,” Fashbaugh said. “Wellness isn’t just about getting a fit body: It’s about taking a spiritual journey to discover what keeps us from consistently choosing wellness as a lifestyle.”
As a result, he feels better these days mentally and spiritually. “I feel as though I am far more able to withstand the stress of local church ministry now than I was before,” he said. “By exercising, I purge my spirit of negative toxins, and the additional energy allows me to put into perspective the issues that I face in the day-to-day affairs of guiding a local church.”
*John Booth is a contibuting writer to Joining Hands Magazine
