We are all forced to change our lives whether we like it or not, due to the Corona virus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up on our goals. Whether your goal is to be healthier, have visible abs, lose 20 pounds or run a sub 30 minute 5k, you should keep going!
Here are my six actionable steps you can begin taking today to keep working on your personal fitness goals.
1. First and foremost we must adapt. This is the way life is for an indefinite amount of time. Being angry and fighting it is useless. But the faster we adapt and let go, the quicker we can make peace and move on. Fixating on what you cannot control is a waste of your energy.
2. Now that you have accepted and adapted that this is your new reality, you can begin creating a new lifestyle within it. We can begin by setting a schedule for ourselves. If you got up at 5am, got in your daily workout before anyone else woke up, then got ready, drove to work, etc, go ahead and keep getting up early and getting in your daily workout.
If you made breakfast, got your family ready, got them out the door, then did your daily workout mid-morning, go ahead and get up and get everyone squared away, then get in your daily workout. Whatever your new routine requires, get a routine, get a schedule and stick to it. People are always more successful if they have structure.
3. Which leads me to say, follow a plan. Not just a daily schedule plan, but have a plan for your daily workouts. This is where I come in. If you have a plan laid out for your like Monday, you will do chest and back strength, Wednesday you will do legs and core strength, Friday you will do arms and shoulders strength, then Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday you will do specific HIIT cardio workouts, then you will be more likely to stick to the plan, follow through and have success working toward your personal fitness goals.
4. When it comes to fat loss, the #1 thing you can do is lift weights. I love that there are online yoga classes and free body weight workouts available. I love that people are going running and biking, but if you want to see visible muscle tone, you have to build muscle and the only way to do that is by lifting weights. (More about that here: https://kyrawilliamsfitness.com/if-you-want-to-see-visible-muscle-you-have-to-have-muscle/)
This means, you gotta lift or use resistance of some sorts. If you don’t have dumbbells or bands, find object like gallons of water or bags of dog food to squat, press overhead, deadlift, row, etc.
5. One of the most important things that needs to be considered right now is making sure you eat well. Following the same clean eating meal plan you were following pre-quarantine is a good idea. Just because you are home doesn’t mean you should be snacking on junk food. It is not good for your body or your brain. If you want to be healthy, your gut health should take priority and processed food is not good for our gut.
This has a direct impact on our mood. If you are experiencing anxiety or depression, perhaps take a look at what you are consuming.
Not to mention, if you want to be lean, processed junk food is not the answer. Sticking to your clean eating meal plan is. Yes, it may need to be modified based on your new lifestyle, but that’s okay. I can help you with that!
6. Lastly, give yourself some grace but also be stern with yourself. Yes, this is tough so don’t be too hard on yourself. But at the same time, don’t let yourself get away with dumb things. Just because you are home doesn’t mean your diet should consist of cookies or chips. Just because you can’t get to the gym the way you like does not mean you should stop doing your daily workouts. Be stern. But don’t be a jerk to yourself either.
If you need help figuring out how to continue working toward your goals given your new lifestyle, let me help you with my 1:1 custom online personal training program, #Commit2Fit.
Go to commit2fitcoaching.com to learn more and join.
Your Coach,
Kyra