Making a Commitment to Wellness

Most experts agree that the best exercise regimen is one that, a) you enjoy and b) you can do consistently. But what happens when life throws you a curve ball, like a worldwide pandemic, or being transferred to a new and different work setting? For Chris MacIntosh, Mette Huberman, and Karen Gallion Biggers, who regularly take yoga classes in the Mind/Body Studio at the Redwood City campus, the answer was to persevere by taking Zoom classes (during lockdown) and then return to in-person classes as soon as possible.
Chris, who worked as an Administrative Associate on Stanford Campus campus beginning in 2005, said that yoga offered a perfect break in the workday. “It was great to take a complete break from work and be able to walk/bike a short distance to class at the Roble Gym. Physically, I got to stretch and move and leave my desk. Mentally, it forced me to change gears completely.” Upon retiring several years ago, Chris wanted to continue her yoga practice so she now bikes from her home in Redwood City to class. “I joke that exercise keeps me vertical,” says Chris adding, “It’s very important to me to try to maintain balance and flexibility.” She also notes that there is the added benefit of finding people with similar health goals. “I enjoy that there is a community of regular participants that one gets to know. SRWC is particularly good in this regard.”
Mette earned a graduate degree from Stanford and became an alumni member in 2019. She also attended class at Roble Gym and followed the instructor to Redwood City. Although she does not work at Stanford she is happy to commute to Redwood City from her home in Palo Alto because “flow yoga is easy to get into.” She feels that she has definitely seen results from her practice. “I have become flexible and have better balance.”
Karen has worked at Stanford for almost 14 years and is the Associate Director, Prospect Systems in Strategic Data Services for Medical Center Development. She worked for many years at an office on Porter Drive, where she began practicing yoga on a regular basis. When her department made the move to Redwood City, Karen began taking yoga classes there twice a week. “Having the yoga class offered at lunch on the days I work in the office has been vital for physical and mental health,” she says. She has also explored the many other classes available at SRWC, including Zumba, Pilates, aqua aerobics, and Tai Chi. “The Stanford team does a great job in creating a variety of offerings,” she noted. But what is it about yoga that keeps her practicing so faithfully? She explains, “Yoga has done wonders for me around strength, stretching, and balance. The breath work element of class has really helped to calm my mind during the work day, and also reminds me to practice away from class at work and home.”
Still looking for a fitness routine but not sure about yoga? Chris offers the following advice: “Don’t think of it as ‘woo woo’ but come and meet a community of people just like you. People who are totally uncritical of anyone’s abilities. So long as a person comes to class and tries, that is great!”
Sheryl Nonnenberg has been teaching yoga at Stanford since 2014. She currently teaches Vinyasa Yoga at the Stanford Redwood City Recreation and Wellness Center.