Each week, Healthy Bridgeport features a "Healthy Face." Today, we feature Jason Bach. Read below to learn all about him and what inspires his healthy lifestyle.
Tell us a little about yourself, your family, what you do here in our community, etc.
My wife, Cathey, and I are both originally from Ohio and have lived in Bridgeport since 2005. I work in the natural gas industry as an engineering technical consultant and Cathey is a registered nurse at a local hospital. We don’t have any children, but have a full house with our cats Indy, Echo, and Tango. We usually try making a pilgrimage to Hatteras a couple times a year, for family vacation and fishing.
1.What is your favorite motivational/self-help book?
I can’t say I’ve ever read a self-help book. It’s just not my thing.
2. Favorite healthy meal?
There’s just something about sushi. No other food can replace it.
3. Favorite workout?
No question, it’s yoga. It’s such a perfect balance of strength, flexibility, core, and stamina. The better you get at it, the harder it pushes you. It doesn’t require equipment, so you can do it anywhere and it’s low impact, so you can do it at any stage in life.
4. How do you fit health and wellness into your busy lifestyle?
In a word, discipline. To be successful, you have to establish a routine and hold yourself accountable. There’s no doubt that unforeseen drawbacks can occur, but most people use “not having time” as an excuse. I understand being busy. I have a full-time career, work a side job, and am in grad school. I still make health and fitness a priority. You do what it takes. Have a plan, establish a routine, and make it happen.
5. What is your favorite motivational quote?
I can’t say that I have one. I’m a firm believer in self-reliance. While it’s good to be inspired or motivated by something, Ultimately, you are your sole driving force. Look inside, dig deep, and get on with it.
6. How did your health journey start?
It’s all about that next step or challenge. In high school, I was a distance runner. Throughout college, I played rugby. After graduating, I had about a decade where I drifted away from fitness. In 2007, I needed to make a change. After several years, I had dropped about 50 pounds and was at a maintainable state. I continued working out and started doing distance running and cycling events. In 2016, I became a fitness instructor. With that step, my focus shifted from competing to working with others on their fitness journeys. Over the past five years, I’ve acquired a personal trainer certification and expanded my knowledge base through continuing education. My goal is to share what I’ve learned with others, as I continue challenging and improving myself.
7. What are some easy tiny habits that you recommend people start with on their journey?
Set realistic goals and make small, incremental changes. So many fitness journeys fail because too many changes happen, too quickly. It is a rare person who can radically change their diet, start going to the gym five days a week, and make it stick. For almost everyone, including myself, it’s a recipe for disaster.
No one ever woke up and suddenly found themselves out of shape. It took time to get to that point. Understand that it will take time to get back out of it. Be realistic with yourself. Take stock of your strengths and weaknesses, using that as a basis for your goals. Once you’ve done that, get moving. Maybe start with a walk around the block, a few days a week. Turn that habit into a routine and keep building on your successes. Be patient and stay with it. The changes will come.
If you’ve never exercised, have been away from it for a period of time, or have health issues, getting an evaluation from your physician prior to starting is recommended. Registered nutritionists and dieticians are available locally, to help you with your dietary planning needs. If you need help with exercise and workout planning, the US Registry of Exercise Professionals provides a database of certified fitness professionals in your area. I encourage using this as a resource for locating qualified individuals and the facilities with which they are affiliated. Good luck!
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