The Spectator

Exercising Educator: Paul Barrera

Thursday, February 04, 2010 By Costas Rerras

Algebra I and II, Analysis, and IB Math. Can you say lesson planning galore? Instructing over 100 students in these four classes is enough to keep math teacher Paul Barrera busy 24/7, yet this married father of three manages to divide his time between teaching and family and still incorporates an exercise routine that he says “Helps reduce stress and keeps me young.” By meshing together bonding time with his daughters and exercise, Barrera plays recreational basketball and soccer with them to help maintain a trim and healthy figure. Barrera believes that, “you are as busy as you make yourself; you’re never too busy to work out, you just having to make time for it.” In high school, Barrera played tennis and swam. He now regularly practices tennis while dabbling in hand ball and volleyball. By making the effort to be physically active, Barrera strives to be good role model to his young daughters who all play basketball and soccer. An exercise regime takes Barrera to the gym three to four times a week where he integrates 20 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of weights, and 20 minutes of stretching. After a rigorous warm up, Barrera will often play racquetball, handball, or swim some laps. Tennis is a constant of Barrera’s routine and he designates time to play at least once a week. Additionally, Barrera participated in the Shamrock Half-Marathon the first year Granby was involved with it. Over the summer, he and several other teachers did the PX90 program taught by Kim Baylor, Physical Education department chair. This specialized fitness program was six weeks long and was an intensive, integrated workout plan. Though he is very active, Barrera concentrates on other areas of health management. To Barrera, the most important thing in the last third of his life is to “slow down the rate of decay.” Diet is a very important part of achieving longevity and Barrera is very conscious of what he eats. He stresses the importance of food fueling the body to maintain the right balance of what the body needs to function rather than what one’s appetite craves. Barrera’s philosophy is “everything in moderation.”