By If you are someone who has the energy and stamina to use this time to work on your physical health, this article is for you! Here are 3 Health and Fitness Tips you can use for Quarantine Life!
Get in a Workout… Outdoors!
Remember, we can still move our body outside while honoring and respecting the social distancing rules! Being outdoors is beneficial for so many reasons. Nature is an instant mood enhancer, it keeps things engaging, you breathe better air, and you actually tend to burn more calories!
To encourage you to get outside try one of the following:
- A HIIT workout in your backyard
- Go for a long walk
- Find a hiking trail in your neighborhood
- Take up running! Let the pavement be your treadmill and begin to really challenge your body
- Dust of that bike, find a route, and take advantage of the warmer weather
- Head to some outdoor stairs and use them as your personal Stairmaster
- Find a neighbourhood bench and do a bench workout
My personal goal is to get outside for just 1-2 hours a day! I maintain sanitary guidelines by washing my hands before and after, wearing gloves while out, maintaining my distance from people, and avoiding peak hours!
Set an (attainable) Wellness Goal for this Time
Have you ever wanted to Run a 5K? Learn how to do a pull up/push up? Or finally learn how to cook? Now’s the time to set that goal and attain it. Be sure to keep the goal easy and fluid - after all, we have enough pressure with all that’s going on. So make it fun, make it attainable, and make it wellness-focused. Some ideas that you can explore include:
- Learn how to run 5K (I love the program: Couch to 5K)
- Learn how to do a push up or pull up. Here’s a fun push up progression for you
- Learn how to cook! Start with 1 new meal a week. I love companies like Plated, where the cooking kit is delivered to you (with all necessary ingredients)
- Start yoga
- Learn how to meditate (using an app like HeadSpace, Calm, or one of Deepak Chopra’s many free tools)
- Learn how to dance! Take an online hip hop class that teaches you how to follow choreography.
There are so many things we’ve always wanted to do in wellness, but have never had the time to do. Now’s your time to really chip away at those goals - no matter how big or small.
Check out the IG Live conversation I had with Jully Black - we even worked out together in the last ten minutes!
Clean out that pantry…. Now
I hate to break it to you, but now is not the time to have unhealthy food at arms reach. We are in times of high stress and volatile emotions - having bags of chips, boxes of cookies, and quarts of ice cream isn’t going to serve anyone. It’s common knowledge that the average person reaches for food to help comfort them in times of emotional despair; given our current climate (and spending 98% of our time at home) having those foods easily accessible increases our likelihood of binge/emotional eating. So do yourself a favor and fill your fridge with fresh produce and with foods that will serve you! You’ll feel better in the long run, and you’ll strengthen the incredible muscle of self-control.
Trust that this time is gifted to us for a reason. There aren’t many things in our control these days, but one thing that is in our control is how we treat the thing that truly matters most - our health. So I encourage you to take to (as best as you can) seize this opportunity.
No matter how big or small, take one of the tips above and aim to implement this week. Then, next week, see how you can improve by just a little bit. Now may not be the time to overdo it, friends, but little by little we can take steps towards living a healthier lifestyle. We can come out of this on top, I truly believe it. If this situation has shown me anything, it’s that health is true wealth. Let’s do the things in our power to make sure we prioritize it.
Since losing 90 pounds, 14 years ago, Tameika Gentles has devoted her time to helping others activate the inner strength and fulfillment she has found on her health journey. The Canadian-born certified personal trainer turned international wellness entrepreneur is the Co-Founder of The Whole Experience – a platform dedicated to helping women create a sustainable healthy lifestyle while building community. Through The Whole Experience, she has reached and served over 1,300 women with her transformational coaching program, Project: YOU and has brought together almost 100 women in six countries, across four continents through her global retreats. As an advocate for inner and outer fitness, Tameika has been featured in Essence Magazine, HuffPost, Health Magazine, Eat Well, Muscle & Fitness and Yahoo! News. Follow Tameika on Instagram @TameikaG.
