quick-fix programs. But nothing stuck.
“We didn’t make time to commit,” says
Mike. “We’d just fade out.”
By early 2009, they were determined
to change their health-and-fitness ways.
Since they already knew they couldn’t
do it on their own, they joined the Life
Time Fitness in South Valley, Utah, hiring
personal trainer Mark Hutter to work with
them twice a week.
Making a serious commitment to
their health meant something else in
their schedules would have to give. So
they cut back on TV time and limited
each child to a single sport or activity
(instead of two or three).
A Routine for Two
Under Hutter’s guidance, Mike and Becky
began a workout routine that included
heart-rate-based intervals on the treadmill
and plenty of old-school exercises, such as
lunges, sit-ups and pushups.
Hutter also had them throw a medicine
ball back and forth, which strengthened
their core muscles and encouraged them
to work together.
He adapted exercises so they could do
similar movements and each get a good
workout. “I might have Mike do a seated
dumbbell press with 20-pound dumbbells,
for instance, and modify it for Becky by
using 7½-pound dumbbells,” says Hutter.
Mike and Becky made sure to fit in four
workouts each week.
I have more energy, and
the problems I used to
have with acid reflux and
heartburn are gone.
The Kartchners often brought their
kids to the gym with them so they could
see Mom and Dad making fitness a priority and also get some exercise themselves.
Their older daughters, Hannah and
Makalah, tried out the group-fitness
classes, while the younger kids, Jake and
Kennedy, went to the daycare facilities.
On weekends, the whole family would
often spend the better part of a day at the
club’s family-friendly pools.
In only a few months, Mike had shed
60 pounds. Over the course of a year,
Becky dropped 50. A high school teacher
and cheerleading coach, she says the
weight loss has made a big impact. “I’m
always telling kids during practice to get
moving and get going. Now I can actually
do the things I’m talking about.”
Setting Healthy Examples
With enough planning, the Kartchners
discovered they could also fit healthy,
homemade meals into their daily routine.
“If it’s something you want, you make time
for it,” says Mike. “Becky and I are busy,
but we plan when we’re going to work out,
and what we’re going to eat each week.”
Instead of giving in to their kids’ fast-
food requests, they created healthy at-
home menus. They selected leaner cuts
of meat, added plenty of vegetables to
every meal, and swapped white bread and
pasta for whole-grain versions. Soon, the
kids began to view homemade meals as a
reward, not a punishment.
Moving Forward
Although Mike and Becky have made
great strides on their fitness journeys,
they want to continue making progress.
One way they avoid slipping into com-
placency is by prioritizing their joint
workouts, despite their hectic schedules.
Says Mike: “It’s important for us to stay
on the right track.”
They believe their four children are
central to maintaining that focus. “We
know this is something that we’ll be
working on for the rest of our lives,”
says Becky. “So we want to make sure it’s
something we can do together.”
Erin Peterson is a freelance writer
in Minneapolis.
The Kartchners’ Core Workout
Mike and Becky Kartchner share a few of
their favorite core-strengthening moves.
Give them a try, with a partner or on
your own:
• Exercise ball crunches (pictured): Sit
on a stability ball, and roll forward until the
small of your back is on the top of the ball.
Lift your arms straight up (perpendicular
to the floor), then arch your back over the
ball. As you crunch up, exhale and reach
your hands toward your partner’s hands
(he or she should be standing in front of
you as a target). Return to start. Add resistance by holding a weighted body bar.
Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
• Overhead medicine ball throws:
Assume the starting position for the
exercise ball crunches, this time facing
your partner (also on a ball) or a wall
that’s about 1 to 2 yards away. Holding a
medicine ball, lean back, taking the ball
overhead; as you contract your abs on the
way up, throw the ball to your partner or
toward the wall. Do three sets of 15 reps.
