Resolve to Keep Working Out Anywhere and Any Way You Can
Since the positives derived from exercising will always be amazing and measurable, it is vital to find new ways to stick with it during these trying times
With COVID-19, despite the end of the world as we know being here until further notice, it is still important to keep working out — one way or another — now more than ever. With a lot of people transitioning to working out at home year, staying on track with the fitness lifestyle may be as challenging as it is to find fitness equipment for home use. It is difficult because making changes is rarely easy or fun. Finding equipment for at-home workouts is cumbersome because everything is either out of stock or a lot more expensive than the pre-pandemic days.
However, since the positives derived from exercising will always be amazing and measurable, it is vital to find new ways to stick with it during these trying times. So, before buying a home gym or additional equipment, like I have done, or hiring a virtual personal trainer or ordering up workout attire with optional masks, commit to laying out a strategy on how to keep working out. Make this a top priority.
Look at the transitional period to home workouts from the gym routine as if it were a new year and resolve to stick with it. However, with that said, do remember that just like a new year’s resolution, starting out with a determined attitude only will fade if it is not managed. Since only about 8 percent of all new year’s resolutions make it through to the following year, a legit plan of action is a must for sustainability.
During the beginning of a new year, it is “Resolution Season” in the health and fitness industry, and that roaring zeal to buff out, lose weight, or create that “whole new you” spikes memberships annually, and gyms are more crowded than usual, that is, at least for a while. A lot of new members stop showing up in a couple of months or less, and the crowd flow goes back to normal, meaning that the members who work out regularly are there but not too many newbies keep coming.
For me, playing sports or working out has been part of my lifestyle since childhood. These activities have been a big part of me forever. So, even without going to the gym X number of times per week, I have found alternatives that I can do at home to stay on it. I have a home gym, a weight bench, a set of adjustable dumbbells, a set of bands, and a pull-up bar, which fits inside a door jam. It took a couple weeks for my workouts at home to be on par with my gym sessions, and there still is plenty of room for improvement, but my exercising routines are taking shape.
If you study a home gym instead of simply following the manufacturer’s content and pictures, there is a lot more exercises that are doable with those contraptions than suggested. I am keeping notes on my discoveries. There also are a lot of exercises that can be done in at home or outdoors with bands.
Seek out activities that are fitness-related and fit into your lifestyle
A daily walk and play session with my dog, Molly, are at the base of my daily fitness regimen. I do this almost every morning. It gives me time with my dog, which is a lot of fun, and it is a mini workout. We do a 2-mile walk/trot course or walk to park and play a spirited round of fetch the squeaking tennis balls. The exercise benefits both of us. Molly has trained me to execute a two-ball fetching system. By using two balls instead of one, Molly is more willing to release the ball instead of making me chase her down and pry it away from her.
I let Molly set the pace throughout the walks. I know she has more fun than me — but not by much! These sessions also give me the opportunity to monitor Molly’s health every day. My dog turned 11 years old in April. Additionally, doing this every morning is my warmup before either proceeding to do a strength-training routine or going out for a run or a ride on my bike.
Weight management, improved strength and flexibility, and extra energy are the perks that accompany commitment to working out a lot. It is a life changer with a lot of benefits.
These end results are self-generated regardless of the money spent, passion expressed, or where the fitness activities are occurring. Exercising and living a fitness-oriented lifestyle have improved my world in every facet.
It also has bolstered my wife’s healthfulness tenfold when she needed it most. In 2017, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She also required a hysterectomy to significantly reduce the probability of the cancer returning. Each medical professional we encountered throughout this ordeal commented on her excellent recovery time and attributed that to her level of fitness.
She ran a half-marathon (13.1 miles) two months after her hysterectomy. Additionally, the surgeon who performed the surgery admitted to being conservative with the prescribed recovery period, indicating that my wife was an outlier for healing so quickly and, likely, was fully recovered about two weeks earlier than scheduled.
Exercising is a difference-maker if you commit to it religiously. Having fun while doing it is my secret sauce for maintaining a fitness-based lifestyle, regardless of where, when, or how I do it.
Do not let the new ways of doing things get in the way of striving to be fit. One day gyms and health clubs will re-open and be safe again, hopefully, sooner than later. However, with finding alternatives to keep on working out without going to gyms today, the new knowledge gained is yours forever, and it is always good to have options.
Stay safe!
