DEL.ICIO.USMY FAVORITE WORKOUT / BRETT DUFFY, SOCCER
Soccer’s constant movement an antidote to desk job
For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, October 27, 2008
His background: When 35-year-old Brett Duffy recently went from Realtor to the managing broker in his Coldwell Banker office, he realized that meant less exercise. As an agent he was out and active, but now he spends most of his time sitting at a desk. That’s why Duffy decided to get involved in a sport he hadn’t played since he was a kid — soccer.
His reconnection with soccer: While he hadn’t played in years, he had stayed in touch with the sport by coaching his 4-year-old daughter’s team. So just a few weeks ago he signed up for a soccer team through the Buckhead YMCA. “We’re called the free agents,” says Duffy, a Dunwoody resident, “Because we literally are the group with no affiliation.” The YMCA put the co-ed team together and Duffy says, “We don’t know each other so it’s kinda fun.”
ADRIENNE HUGHES-HARRIS/Special
Brett Duffy, who joined a co-ed soccer club through the YMCA, loves the sport for its social setting.
ADRIENNE HUGHES-HARRIS/Special
Brett Duffy says that playing soccer helps keep him in shape enough that he can chase around his 4- and 2-year-olds.
- Photos: Workout routines you can do at home
- Topic: Atlanta Fitness
- Get ready for the AJC's Peachtree Road Race
- Back to Health news
Why he likes the team dynamic: “I wanted to do something that was more social. A little more of a fun group, team activity,” he says. “One of the other activities I do is spinning; it’s fun and I enjoy it but there’s not really a drive to have to show up to spinning. You’re part of a team here. You have to show up.”
It’s not just about winning: The team doesn’t practice, says Duffy, they just play every Sunday. “This league is a very recreational league,” says Duffy. “The first game we played we had a little trouble because we didn’t have enough players so we didn’t have any substitutes and we were playing a team that was 10 years younger than us.” They lost that game but have since won.
The physical side: Duffy says he works out at the gym every now and then but adds that he’s not “a huge, super athlete.” He hoped that playing soccer would help him keep up with his 4- and 2-year-olds.
His workout week: Since taking up soccer he still spins twice a week at his apartment complex but he mostly looks forward to his weekly games. “That’s the nice thing about soccer,” he says. “It’s only once a week so it’s not overly intrusive into your schedule. So even if I don’t get in any other workout during the week, at least I know I’m going to play soccer.”
What it’s done for him: Because he’s been playing only a few weeks, he doesn’t have any incredible weight loss to report but he does feel like his endurance is improving with every game. “Soccer is a sport where you’re constantly running and moving,” says Duffy. “Any time the ball gets near you, you launch into a sprint.” He says his workouts in the past haven’t been at that intensity level.
Who else can do it: Duffy says that anybody with a basic knowledge of the game could get into soccer, especially if they join a recreational league like his. His advice for newbies? “Make sure you’re on a team that has enough people on it that you can get out of the game if you need to.”
The best part: Duffy says, “It’s a way to get exercise without being focused on the exercise.”
Services »