For those who have been working out and enjoyed the routine of going to the gym to take classes or train with your favorite instructor this message is for you…
For those who need to return to exercise but aren’t exactly sure how to do that or where to go this message is for you…
For those who have never really ventured into the world of health and fitness this message is for you…
Now more than ever before your health and your well being is important, in fact it’s absolutely essential. A strong healthy body stands a far better chance at adapting, improvising and persevering when faced with adversities such as stress, fatigue, pain and illness. The very essence of how we choose to take care of ourselves is a decision that we must all face. In light of the CoVid virus coupled with the fact that we are living longer than ever before, it is time to re-evaluate and in some cases completely change the way we choose to live our lives and take care of our health, because the quantity of years isn’t worth much without the quality to go along with it.
As a health and fitness professional who has worked in the industry for over two and a half decades I understand and realize just as much as anyone how tough change and transformation really is. But there are limited choices right now. Take a punch and go down for the count or take one and give two punches right back. Like anything worthwhile in life, you are going to have to fight for what you want. The benefits of regular exercise and remaining active and healthy have not changed however the face of fitness has.
Gyms were originally built and designed to accommodate large crowds often in limited workout areas. Crowded workout classes, rows and rows of treadmills, spin bikes and elipticals squeezed in tightly side by side has always been the norm. As gyms attempt to modify and reconfigure their floor plans the fact remains the same. It’s hard to infuse and maintain the same level of safety and caution necessary for you to feel completely safe and confident while you exercise. So it’s time to find a good alternative.
Consider this… You need to continue to exercise but in a well controlled environment that reduces the risks of spreading or contracting infectious disease. There are three viable options moving forward. Workout at home on your own, take advantage of online programs or workout at a small scale personal training studio. Working out on your own at home will require space, equipment, motivation, knowledge, variety and some sort of self accountability to stay on track. It can be done and there are plenty of resources that can be researched on google.
Taking advantage of online exercise programs such as classes and personal training requires space, a computer, interfacing with an app of some sort and depending on if you choose to go it alone or not, hiring a personal trainer. Working with a personal trainer online should be a similar experience as compared to in-person. I personally instruct, guide, watch and motivate those who I work with online as they workout in their own home with great results. Working with a personal trainer on-line should take care of the motivation, knowledge, variety and accountability aspects. Finding a small scale personal training studio will require a deeper dive however it could be worth your while. For instance I have a small studio and I only see one person at a time and schedule a 30 minute window between sessions to allow time to clean, sanitize and disinfect every inch of the place (something gyms just cannot effectively do).
Find what works best for you but by all means do work out and exercise regularly. Exercise is the chicken soup that the body needs to help sustain and endure the stress and anxieties that we we are facing right now. Take action and get a move on. Adapt, improvise, overcome.
