Determined to outrun a family history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, U.S history and AVID teacher Mr. Jung is beating the odds with exercising. After running and lifting weights consistently for the last 18 years, Mr. Jung is still strongly passionate about exercising and what it’s done for him.
Back in 2009, Mr. Jung’s doctor informed him that his blood pressure and cholesterol were creeping up on him and suggested that he change his lifestyle so that he could experience the health benefits that come from exercising regularly. After that day, Mr. Jung started to jog every 2-3 days since it didn’t require any bulky equipment and didn’t require him to spend money.
“Exercising has calmed my mind and given me a more positive outlook on life. Even though my body can’t do all the things quite as easily as before, I’m very aware that I’m fortunate to have a body that functions well and allows me to enjoy life. When I exercise, I find that I have more energy throughout the day,” said Mr. Jung.
When Mr. Jung began exercising, it wasn’t easy. He would lose his breath quickly, his body would ache, and his skin wouldn’t respond well to all the sweat. When he first started exercising he struggled to jog 1 mile, but over time he was able to jog up to 5 miles nonstop at his peak. As of now, he’s able to easily jog 2-3 miles, running at the Sunset Dunes on the weekends.
Regularly exercising benefited Mr. Jung more than he realized. Not only has his physical condition gotten better, but exercising has also taught him discipline, you get what you put in, the importance of preparation whether that be preparing for a workout or lesson, gives him more energy throughout the day, calms his mind and has given him a more positive outlook on life. Additionally, exercising reminds Mr. Jung how fortunate he is to have a body that functions well and allows him to enjoy life.
Mr. Jung also uses exercising as his stress reliever. When he feels frustrated, he’s able to channel that energy into his workout and after that workout, he’d be too tired to hold on to that frustration. Another way it helps him is that it makes him feel better about himself knowing that he just did something productive and beneficial to both his mind and body.
Mr. Jung doesn’t plan to stop exercising until his body can no longer keep up with his mind.
Although he’s taught U.S history and AVID for over 26 years, most students only know Mr. Jung as the comedic and charismatic history teacher, & appreciates all he does for the school. But few know about his fitness journey
“Ultimately, I’d like to reach the point where exercise no longer seems strenuous and exhausting. I’d have so much fun exercising that it wouldn’t feel like a chore or a task that I have to do each day. My body would also be conditioned to the point where I wouldn’t get sore and require much time to recover,” said Mr. Jung.
