A Typical Day at the J

(Published Nov 15, 2015)

On any given weekday between 8-10 am, you’ll find a group of regulars who came to the JCC for a variety of reasons, but who now say they keep coming back because of the friendship they’ve developed.

“We know each other through the stairs (the stair stepping machine),” Sandy Nachlis said. “We didn’t know each other until we met here. Now we worry when someone doesn’t show up.”

When asked if they have any advice for people who don’t exercise regularly, Nachlis said, “Get on it!” Cheryl Johnson quickly agreed.

A veteran of the Persian Gulf War, Johnson came to the JCC about a year ago because she liked the indoor track. She was battling depression, an aftereffect of the war compounded by the loss of her mother. “I was on a road to self-destruction and wanted to start walking my way back into exercising,” she said.

Nachlis, who works out every day (three days at home), said the biggest benefit to regular exercise is sleeping better. Johnson said, “Yes! This place is like therapy for me. With all I’ve seen and been through, being able to sleep has been wonderful.”

(Featured image: Cheryl Johnson, a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, came to the JCC about a year ago for the indoor track.)

(left to right)

Dave Petty comes to the JCC two days a week to lift weights and run on the indoor track
Dave Kurzawa (yellow shirt) works out five days a week and usually does the stair stepping machine
Marv Hershenson (orange shirt) works with personal trainer Andre Grimes. He credits his regular exercise regimen for quick recovery after quadruple bypass surgery
Abby Boris works out 3-4 times a week and uses the machines and free weights. Also does spinning and Piloxing…”pretty much everything”
Robert Downey Jr. works out four days a week doing cardio, stretching and free weights; since he knows just about everyone at the JCC, people call him “The Mayor.”
Cheryl Johnson and Sandy Nachlis (bottom right) are friends after meeting on the stair stepping machines at the JCC.