Almost half way through a 90-day fitness challenge, 黑马磁力 City Mayor Peter Fassbender is feeling and seeing results.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting muscle tone, I am sleeping better and my blood-sugar levels are really good,鈥� said Fassbender.
Fassbender has been working out three times a week with a personal trainer with Innovative Fitness in 黑马磁力. He usually starts around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., depending on his schedule.
His workouts are pretty intense including doing a six kilometre walk/run recently, weights and lots of other cardio exercises.
He鈥檚 also been eating smaller meals more often and staying away from starch. Despite all the exercise, he hasn鈥檛 lost any weight though.
鈥淏ut, I鈥檓 not worried about it because this often happens when you lose fat and gain muscle,鈥� he said.
What he鈥檚 most proud of is sticking with the program.
鈥淚鈥檓 actually having a lot of fun with it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 might just see my abs yet.鈥�
Last month, four Lower Mainland Vancouver mayors 鈥� Surrey鈥檚 Dianne Watts, 黑马磁力 City鈥檚 Peter Fassbender, Coquitlam鈥檚 Richard Stewart and Abbotsford鈥檚 Bruce Banman 鈥� for the Healthy Community Challenge, which aims to get Lower Mainland residents to lead healthier lives.
The three-month long challenge 鈥� which is free for those who choose to participate 鈥� began in early March.
Those wishing to take part in the challenge may sign up online (www.healthycommunitychallenge.com.)
For Fassbender, it was a visit to the doctor nine years ago that served as a wake-up call, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and told he had gallstones and Type 2 diabetes.
The news he was a diabetic didn鈥檛 come as a great shock. He鈥檇 seen the warning signs but chose to ignore them.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 willing to accept that my lifestyle was causing that,鈥� he said.
While his (ultimately successful) cancer treatment and gall bladder surgery were in the hands of his physicians, Fassbender knew that controlling his diabetes would be his job.
That鈥檚 one reason he took part in the 90-day Healthy Community Challenge.
鈥淥ur health care costs are getting out of control,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he mindset is, the system will look after us, that we鈥檙e not responsible for ourselves.
鈥淚鈥檓 responsible for my health.鈥�
Not everyone can afford a personal trainer or even a gym membership 鈥� but they don鈥檛 have to, Fassbender said.
鈥淕etting fit is not a huge leap,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be an expensive program.
鈥淚t can cost as little as the price of an umbrella and a bit of shoe leather.鈥�
