It’s no secret that when working out a good partner can make a world of difference. If you’ve been following along you’ve read all about my Stealth experience on the board and in the kitchen with my husband Nate. I wondered though, what has it been like for other couples who Stealth together? So, I (safely, from a distance and with the help of technology) talked with Chris and Sarah Alverson from Ohio about their Stealth experience.
Jennifer Suain: What made you interested in Stealth?
Chris: We are both in our 30’s and were looking for a way to get active. Every time I thought about a gym membership, I would rule it out because of having to drive at least 20 minutes one way. This sort of route towards an active lifestyle is not feasible with children. We had become interested fairly early in 2020 but with Sarah being pregnant with twins at the time, we waited until after the twins were born to purchase it.
Sarah: I was following you (Jennifer) on your journey (she and I worked together last year) and I was excited to see your transformation. I knew watching you, that using the Stealth board would be a great way to get back into exercising after having twins. Since my birthday was a month after the twins were born Chris, bought it for me and he was just as excited to get it. Then our journey began!
Jennifer Suain: What was your first try like compared to now?
Chris: My first try with the Stealth was quite embarrassing actually. I couldn’t keep my balance very well. After joining a couple of challenges in November and December last year and using this on a daily basis, my balance has drastically improved, and my stamina has increased.
Sarah: My first try was barely 30 seconds on my knees. I have never planked before using the Stealth board, so my body had a lot to get used too. I was excited to take part in the Planksgiving challenge, Festive Freestyle and Fresh Start challenges. These have been a great way to experience and push myself using the Stealth Core Trainer. Even after having the twins and two older children I have surprised myself at how strong my body is and have been able to do more than I expected, like completing the 3-minute workouts with Matt and trying some of the advance move videos. I have a current streak of over 100 days, which I have been thrilled to accomplish.
Jennifer Suain: What is one thing you’ve gained from Stealth that you didn’t expect?
Chris: The support of an amazing community (Stealth Nation) that keeps me motivated and encouraged.
Sarah: I have really enjoyed seeing the whole family get involved that is able to, my oldest who is 6 loves to create his own challenges and impresses me by doing a solid 5 minutes of game time or more, the support of my husband encouraging me to push myself even I didn’t think I could do it. Also, it has really helped my body heal postpartum. I don’t feel the need to cross my legs every time I laugh or sneeze. It is amazing to see the support from Stealth Nation and the opportunity to encourage others in their journey.
Jennifer Suain: Let’s talk about kids and your lives for a minute. What are your occupations? How many kids do you have?
Chris: I am an assembler at Ariel Corporation that makes world-standard natural gas compressors.
Sarah: I am a special education teacher at a local elementary school. We now have 4 kids: Joshua, who is 6, Elizabeth is 3, and Daniel and Lillie are 6 months. We also have a fur baby who has made a cameo in some of our videos, Gracie, who is 7.
Jennifer Suain: How do you find time to Stealth with such busy lives?
Sarah - I normally just take 3 to 5 minutes while the twins are napping or content. Or after I come home and feed them (twins) and before I get started working with my oldest on his schoolwork, I’ll work through the monthly challenge moves and game. If it is the weekend, I might try a level of Baseline if I have energy. If I don’t get it done, then I will do it right before bed.
Chris - My Stealth time normally comes after putting Joshua and Elizabeth to bed at night. Shortly after it ends, it becomes my bedtime. There are a few rare occasions where I am able to do my Stealth monthly challenges and game earlier in the day while the twins take a nap. I would like to start doing more workout moves with the Stealth (instead of just the monthly challenge game and a few other challenges), right now, it’s hard to find 20-30 minutes at a time.
Jennifer Suain: Out of the two of you, who is more competitive?
Chris & Sarah: We are both equally competitive.
Sarah: I wait for Chris to catch up on baseline before moving on to the next level, so we are also working together.
Jennifer Suain: Do you have a favorite freestyle move?
Chris: Pikes with twists and half burpees.
Sarah: My favorite freestyle move is pikes.
Jennifer Suain: What is your favorite Stealth game and your best Stealth time?
Chris: My favorite free game is quickly becoming Space Escape with a record of 8:18, my favorite premium game is Archery Adventure with a record of 1:38.
Sarah My favorite game is Baseline and currently my personal best is level 13 at 3:45.
Jennifer Suain: Thank you both for your time and giving us all a glimpse into your lives and Stealth experience. I can’t wait to see how far this journey takes you both.
We all live very different lives; maybe your situation is similar to Chris and Sarah, busy with work and children. Or like Nate and I maybe you don’t have young children to work around. Your score or time might not be as high as you’d like BUT you did something. You’re moving in the right direction. The gains will come. You might have to look for them and they may be hard to find BUT they’re there. Regardless of what your daily life looks like, we all share the same effort and the same feelings of success. Remember to be patient with yourself.