Many parents took on the role of teachers during the pandemic. Jeremy Bodenhamer, 42, is exercising more than ever, since he serves as a physical education educator for his three children. When youth sports were stopped last year and the parks and playgrounds closed, the CEO of the packaging and shipping software company ShipHawk started driving his kids through training in the family garage’s gym.
“My boys love school, but they hate Zoom school,” says Bodenhamer, who lives in Goleta, California. “Physical education slows down and expels its pent-up energy.” Mr. Bodenhamer and his wife, Bethany Bodenhamer, dean of students at a local high school, are both avid CrossFitters and have always encouraged their boys to be active. Titus, 9, plays baseball. Solomon, 8, loves hockey and running. Jeremiah, 6, loves basketball so much that he watches Stephen Curry’s MasterClass daily and mimics the NBA player’s drills.
In the morning, Mr. Bodenhamer takes the boys out for races or leads them on short drills. When the remote learning sessions are over, they find their father in the garage to exercise. Mrs. Bodenhamer also gets together occasionally to make it a family affair. The boys post their workouts and fitness challenges on their Instagram account @heartandhamer, hoping to inspire other kids to stay active. Last fall, the boys raised money through a GoFundMe campaign so they could buy 700 jump ropes to donate to children in local primary schools.
“I try to teach boys that fitness is more than strong muscles,” says Bodenhamer. “We talked about life lessons, like setting goals and building strength inside and out.”