We’re into week six of social distancing in the US and week five of the safer-at-home order in Memphis. I hope this email finds everyone safe and healthy. How have you approached the obstacles we are all facing? If you are anything like me, the past few weeks have exposed you to a wide range of emotions: Fear, uncertainty, frustration, denial, anxiety, isolation, and even joy and happiness. We are going through a massive change and all of us have had to adapt to new circumstances and challenges, and be aware of how these challenges affect our habits.
What I have become more aware of in these past several weeks is that in order to stay grounded and experience fewer swings in my mindset and emotions, I need to stay connected to my health and fitness. Trying to navigate new routines, making sure to not sleep too much or too little, all while juggling new obstacles we have likely never faced is difficult. Yet there is a massive need for routine and consistency right now, especially if this global pandemic continues for weeks or months more.
If you’ve seen exponential growth in your screen-time, junk food and alcohol consumption, or your sleep and training schedule have completely flipped, don’t stress about it. Let’s take a simpler approach to overcoming the obstacles we are facing as it relates to our health and fitness. Below are some struggles that many people are facing in these areas, and several suggestions on how to navigate them.
- Struggles: Limited space, distractions, less equipment, low motivation, new schedule
- Suggestions: Create a space for working out. Pick a time of day, or if you are unable to knock out your entire workout, plan to complete it in 2 or 3 short sessions throughout the day. Follow a plan (We have several options for training and programming available). Slow down your movements to increase time under tension.
- Struggles: “Working out at home is not the same.” Unfortunately, doing air squats and push-ups every day doesn’t feel like heavy Back Squats or moving heavy weight.
- Suggestions: Put on your favorite workout clothes. Create your best playlist to get you in the mood. Get creative with the things around you. Take things outside. Go for a hike or a bike ride. Build an obstacle course. When you perform your strength or conditioning, focus on the quality of your movement and your breath. Recruit a friend or family member.
- Struggles: Inconsistent nutrition habits with an inconsistent schedule, mindless eating, stress eating, appetite all over the map
- Suggestions: Start tracking everything in an app. This will help you to identify patterns and increase awareness of your eating habits. Stay hydrated. Improve your gut health by increasing consumption of vegetables and probiotic foods. Realize that if you’re eating like crap then you’re less likely to feel like training, and that can lead to a downward spiral quickly.
If you’ve struggled with your routines in recent weeks, you are not alone. It can be hard to find and sustain motivation when all of your days run together, but you can take a few small steps to turn things around in areas where you may have been slacking. Give yourself some grace, commit to a few action steps, and reach out to us if you need anything. We are ALL in this together.
In Health,
Brandon Reilly