Berks County man shares his journey to wellness

Rob Strauber, 49, was 11 years old when he found out he had asthma after experiencing shortness of breath when playing outdoors.

Aside from an inhaler, his doctor prescribed swimming laps in a pool to help him strengthen his lung function and breathing. It would be the start of Strauber’s connection to the sport that would carry on for years, culminating with him swimming competitively in long-distance freestyle at the University of Tennessee, a Division I school.

Despite his commitment to physical fitness at the time, he lacked the same mindfulness when it came to what he was putting into his body. The poor food choices eventually caught up with him later in life after graduation when he began working.

“I was used to eating 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day and when I worked in the hospitality industry, I was working odd hours and eating an unbalanced diet,” said Strauber, who lives in Morgantown, Berks County. “I was this athlete who never really took care of his body.”

After a lack of structure with competitive swimming in the adult world and four kids later, his hardcore fitness regimen diminished to sporadic visits to the gym. It was after the pandemic when he was 45 pounds overweight at 6’3” that he had a wake-up call.

“Life is supposed to be made up of body, mind and spirit and I asked myself, ‘where am I spiritually in my life?’ and realized I needed to do more,” he said. “I knew something had to happen.”

Coping mechanisms

Despite transitioning to a profession in the healthcare industry after working in hospitality for 13 years, he found he was spending more time helping clients as a behavioral health interventionist than he was on himself.

“I wasn’t doing anything for my fitness that was regimented, I had anxiety and didn’t have any coping mechanisms,” Strauber said. “I was busy at work and there was stuff that was more important than taking care of me.”

Given he comes from a family with a history of diabetes, he knew it was critical he begin making changes to enable him to acquire tools for better coping with the everyday demands of life as a full-time professional, father to four children and husband.

After considering the possibilities of what would be the best fit on his journey to wellness, he felt yoga could offer him the most benefits, so began attending Svaroopa yoga classes at Downingtown Yoga & Meditation Center, not far from where he grew up in Chester County.

“We used all of the props, so it was gentle to ease into,” he said. “It was helping me with my breathing and meditation. It was getting me more spiritual as I began listening to teachings and meditations.”

More recently, he began taking Vinyasa yoga at Solstice Yoga Shala in Morgantown, Berks County.

“The first time I went, I worked up a sweat and I felt amazing that day,” he said.

Rut in life

Today, he takes three yoga classes per week at Solstice Yoga Shala and spends one day at the gym doing strength training and cardio with his father, Bob, from Downingtown. At home, he invests time daily in stretching and movement outdoors, like gardening, as well as focuses on eating a balanced diet.

He credits yoga with helping him get out of the rut in life where he was. Now if he’s traveling for work and staying in a hotel room, he knows how to bring his wellness routine on the road with him. The same goes for long stints of sitting in meetings.

“If I’m in a meeting and have muscular pain, I can drive some breath into the pain to work through it as a coping mechanism,” he said. “I don’t have to go to a yoga class to get a release now, since I have learned to work through it myself.”

The meditation and breathwork he has learned through yoga have also made him feel more in the here and now.

“Yoga equals feeling better,” he said. “It makes me feel like a human being and I have more to give other people.”

Strauber feels very grateful to be more in control of his life now that he’s on a healthier path where he’s prioritizing his needs.

“With my health history it could have been a different outcome,” he said. “I feel a lot more energetic and hopeful for the day, and excited about what the future has to hold.”