3. Stay active in confinement
The fitness industry exists, in part, to combat sedentary behavior—in our clients as well as the public at large.
Now there’s a new front in the battle against inactivity, writes Leigh Peele on her website. We’ve met the enemy, and it’s us.
"Don’t feel bad about yourself" if you struggle to stay active during these extraordinary
times, Peele writes. "Social distancing could lead to an increase in depression, apathy, or loneliness."
Even if you’re motivated to train at home, "you may miss the energy of the gym," making a simple workout feel like it takes an outsized effort.
Peele, a writer and musician as well as an online coach, has a lot of experience finding ways to get herself and her clients to move more. Her advice:
1. Set daily step goals
Make it specific but also realistic. "It’s better to hit a moderate amount of steps than to be overwhelmed by an unrealistic daily goal," she suggests.
2. Set new training goals
Even if you could work on advanced strength or physique goals from home, it’s probably not a great idea to compound the stress we all live with right now. Pick something else, something simple, like increasing
endurance or rehabbing that injury you’ve been training around.
3. Clean
Clear out your closets. Organize and dust your bookshelves. Or build new ones. "This is the time to tackle projects" you’ve been avoiding, Peele says.
4. Use follow-along workouts
You’re probably spending a lot of time writing new programs for your clients, taking into account each person’s space and equipment limitations.
Don’t feel pressured to write your own workouts. Unlike medical equipment, there’s no shortage of free training programs. Just about every trainer you know has posted one in the past few weeks.
Pick one and take it for a test drive.
5. Get out!
The air outside will never be cleaner or feel better than it does right now. Enjoy it responsibly.
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