Rob Strauber with his wife, Sarah (back row, center), and three of their four children, son Ben (back row, left), daughters Bobbi Jean (front row, left), and Caroline (front row, right). (Courtesy of Rob Strauber)
Rob Strauber, 49, was 11 when he experienced shortness of breath while playing outside and discovered he had asthma.
In addition to the inhaler, his doctor prescribed swimming in a pool to improve his lung function and breathing, which marked the beginning of Strauber’s long-lasting involvement with sports that ultimately led him to compete in the long-distance freestyle at Division I University of Tennessee.
Even though he was committed to getting fit at the time, he didn’t pay the same attention to what he put into his body. After graduating and starting work, some poor food choices would end up hurting him later on.
“I was used to eating 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day. When I worked in the hospitality industry, I worked irregular hours and ate unbalanced meals,” said Strauber, who lives in Morgantown, Berks County. “I was an athlete who didn’t really take care of my body.”
After swimming competitively as an adult and losing his regularity, and having four children, his rigorous fitness program dwindled to occasional trips to the gym. After the pandemic, when he was 45 pounds overweight at 6 feet 3 inches tall, he had a wake-up call.
“Life is supposed to be made up of body, mind and soul, and I asked myself, ‘Where am I in life spiritually?’ and realized I needed to do more,” he said. “I knew something had to happen.”
Coping mechanisms
Despite transitioning to healthcare after working in the hospitality industry for 13 years, he found himself spending more time helping clients as a behavioral health interventionist than himself.
“I wasn’t doing anything regular for my health. I was anxious but had no way of dealing with it,” Strauber said. “My work was busy and there were other things more important than my health.”
He comes from a family with a history of diabetes, so he knew it was important to start making changes to give him the tools to better handle the demands of daily life as a full-time professional, father of four, and husband.
After considering what would work best for him on his health journey, he felt yoga would provide him the most benefit, so he began attending Svaroopa yoga classes at Downingtown Yoga & Meditation Center, not far from his hometown in Chester County.
“We used all kinds of props so it was an easy environment to get started in,” he said. “It helped me with breathing and meditation. Once I started listening to the teachings and meditations, I grew more spiritually.”
Recently, I started taking Vinyasa Yoga at Solstice Yoga Shala in Morgantown, Berks County.
“The first time I went I was sweating and felt great that day,” he said.
Life in a rut
He now takes yoga classes three times a week at Solstice Yoga Shala and spends one day at the gym doing strength training and cardio with his father, Bob, who lives downtown. At home, he spends time each day stretching, gardening and other outdoor exercise, and makes sure to eat a balanced diet.
He credits yoga with helping him get out of a rut, and now, when he travels for work and stays in hotels, he knows how to carry his wellness routine with him on the road, even when he has to sit for long periods in meetings.
“If I get sore muscles during a meeting, the solution is to breathe and relieve the pain,” he says. “I’ve learned how to relieve myself, so now I don’t have to go to a yoga class to relieve the pain.”
The meditation and breathing techniques he learned through yoga have helped him feel more present.
“Yoga makes me feel good,” he says. “I think it makes me feel more human and gives me more to give to other people.”
Now that she’s on a healthy path to prioritizing her needs, Strauber feels incredibly grateful to have more control over her life.
“Given my health history, the outcome may have been different,” he said. “Looking forward to that day, I feel much more energetic, hopeful, and excited about what the future holds.”
