Meet Pradeep and Rushmi Kumar – our first double Member Spotlight! This couple manages to balance work, family life and a regular fitness program. We love having them at Castle Hill and enjoyed this opportunity to learn a little bit more about their life inside and outside the gym!
How long have you been members at Castle Hill Fitness?
Pradeep: I’ve been a member 8 years since 2008
Rushmi: I was a member in 2008 when you still had those treadmill “swimming pools” because I needed an indoor place to swim. I think I ended up only using those pools twice during my membership that year! I rejoined in 2013.
What does your regular routine at Castle Hill look like?
Pradeep: I usually do cardio two days a week for an hour a piece. On Wednesdays I work out with a trainer on resistance exercises.
Rushmi: I have 30 minutes of
personal training and I try to get one or two short runs and a class in every week.
What changes have you made in your Health and Fitness lifestyle since becoming members of Castle Hill?
Pradeep: Since joining Castle Hill, I’ve learned to incorporate resistance work into my routine.
Rushmi: I am much more efficient with my time. I used to think that if I could not get a solid hour or so to work out, it was not worth getting a workout. But, I have learned that 20-30 minutes is better than nothing at all and often better than some of those longer workouts.
Do you take any of our classes? Who is your favorite class instructor?
Pradeep. I do take classes from time to time. I like the weekend
Spin classes. I also like taking
Pilates with
Deborah West.
Rushmi: Yes!
Hilary Chung – any of her classes! But I tend to do her
Castle Barre class a lot. I also like
Maricarmen’s Shakti Flow yoga class.
Do you currently work with a personal trainer?
Pradeep: I work out with
George Centeno on Wednesdays. He keeps things close to the chest, but he’s a great trainer.
Rushmi: Yes – Hilary. I’ve learned a lot from working out with her. We are also both mommies of young kids, so her knowledge and approach have been a really great fit for me.
What motivates you to stay on track?
Pradeep: I am personally motivated to stay on track, but my family plays a big role. I have a wife and 3 young kids and I want to be active with them and I need to be physically and emotionally healthy for their sake as well as my own.
Rushmi: I like taking care of my health
What have been your biggest obstacles with fitness?
Pradeep: The biggest obstacles are also the biggest rewards: my family. Finding the balance of time spent with family, work, and time for fitness is a heavy juggling trick.
Rushmi: Time constraints. We have 3 kids all aged five and under, and I like spending time with them! They can use up a lot of my time, so I need to make sure I have a plan each week and blocked out to get to those workouts and classes.
What aspect of your fitness life are you most proud of?
Pradeep: I am most proud of my consistency. Despite the changes in my life, I have always incorporated exercise since age 28 and I’ve rarely flagged my commitment.
Rushmi: I am really proud that Pradeep & I prioritize fitness enough to incorporate it into our date-nights. We will often start out our date by going to the gym, getting a workout, and then we’ll get ready at the gym and head out on the town.
What’s your greatest health and fitness achievement?
Pradeep: My greatest health achievements include losing the weight I gained after shoulder surgery last year and running the Aloha Run in Hawaii 10 years ago of 8+ miles.
Rushmi: Running the Chicago marathon in 1999 and becoming a yoga instructor in 2004.
Are there any areas you are still working on?
Pradeep: The area I am working on now is diet. Finding the right balance of caloric intake, fruit/veggie intake, and eating styles that keep me fit.
Rushmi: Definitely!! This is a lifetime commitment, especially since my mind and body will always be evolving and changing.
When you are not working out at Castle Hill what do you do?
Pradeep: When not at Castle Hill, for exercise I like to bike around Lady Bird Lake and I am getting back into running. Other than exercise, my family and profession take up most of the rest of my time.
Rushmi: I like to spend time exploring Austin with my hubby! I enjoy raising our 3 kids and exploring Austin with them. I also volunteer for a few non-profit organizations.
Any thoughts you can leave us with?
Pradeep: A lesson I can leave you with that I learned this year: an hour a week of planning your meals is work it’s caloric equivalent in a work out. Also I’ll leave you with the idea that at a gym, and at Castle Hill in particular, people come to do something positive for themselves: take care of their health. There is little more valuable than that. That energy conveys and it’s always the positive vibe at Castle Hill that I appreciate.
Rushmi: Castle Hill is a great place to be a member. I really enjoy coming to the gym because of the community that you have built. I love that everyone is friendly from the moment I walk in the door!
Yay Pradeep and Rushmi! You guys are an inspiration and a fixture in our community!
What a beautiful family! I admire your dedication to them, and to keeping yourself fit! 🙂 We love having you as a part of our fitness family.
What a great feature! They nailed it at the end with the community feel and welcoming vibe. One of the main reasons that I love teaching here so much.
Wow… in reading this , you two truly are fitness and wellness beacons for all of us and we’re lucky to have you at the Castle. Can’t wait to get Rushmi back into Shakti Flow 🙂 . Thank you both for being part of the CH family. xo
Thank you for all the kind comments! This was fun for us to do and we enjoy being part of Castle Hill.
Thanks for sharing your story and insights. And thanks for being such loyal, fun, supportive and inspiring members! I’m a huge fan!!