Local Mom Finds Friendship and Fitness At The Same Time "I'll just do things by myself," was Debbie Gamauf's plan for exercise. During her second pregnancy, the Wheaton mom struggled with Graves Disease, an autoimmune disease that leads to over activity of the thyroid gland. As a young mother with two children, she wanted to regain her mental and physical fitness as soon as possible. She decided to use the Wheaton Sport Center for exercising and her plan was to quietly use the equipment alone. "I am not coordinated so I didn't want to be in a class where there were lots of people," she explains. "Other moms kept asking me to join a class but I kept saying I didn't want to. Finally, I agreed to try one class session and then I was addicted. There are so many people in the room that no one is aware of any one else. The energy and exercise is so much better. I have one class where the instructor dims the lights which makes it really nice."
Today, Debbie visits Wheaton Sport Center for about two hours daily. "I take a class four days a week but sometimes, I just sit there and have coffee with friends. I have made some great friendships and that is part of being healthy too. I work hard everyday and I need a reward. Keeping in shape and feeling good about yourself is so important in life. There has to be a balance between home and exercise to have a healthy lifestyle."
Debbie's husband Mike also exercises regularly. "We are setting a great example for our kids," says Debbie. Although her children are only 5 and 3, they have taken swim lessons and keep active.
"Being in shape lets me feel good about myself," says Debbie who has several favorite exercise classes. She found Pilates to be rewarding because "I had never learned how to use my core muscles." The pyramid strength class was a good workout because "we used a lot of weights with continuous movement that changed constantly. It never seemed repetitive." She also enjoyed learning kickboxing since it helped her build endurance.
She encourages other moms to find a way to fit exercise into their lifestyles. "You can do it," she says to others. "My body has changed and I feel better. I take time for myself to do things with friends and family. I think being happy is the first step in being healthier." – By Judy Buchenot
