Be Well

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  I know many people have been struggling with the anxiety caused by the current Coronavirus pandemic.  There are so many aspects of it that have affected our daily lives that have caused elevated stress levels to most everyone.  One aspect in particular, is the inability to be as physically active as we once were.  With gyms and even parks shutting down, it has been harder to get regular workouts in, especially at the intensity levels that we were training prior to the pandemic.  This decreased physical activity greatly affects out mental and emotional health.  For one, the lack of physical activity cuts down on the positive physiological response that exercise produces.  Also, many people are now lacking the social interaction they had by going out to the gym and / or park, and / or training with others.  And, there are many people who start to feel bad about the way they look, i.e. body builders feeling they are getting smaller from muscle atrophy, or others feeling that they are gaining fat from not moving as much.  So what I would like to suggest today, to help everyone who is dealing with the anxiety of this situation, is to try and not worry about your physical health as much, but rather, work on your mental health.  The mind-body connection is understood these days, but it is often still underestimated.  But I promise you, one of the best ways, especially right now, to take care of your physical health is by caring for your mental health.

          The first thing that I would like to make you aware of, is that the physical changes that your body has gone through by any recent decrease in physical activity is much less dramatic than you believe.  Missing a few weeks at the gym does not result in a complete body transformation, just like going to the gym for a few weeks doesn't make you a completely new person.  A decrease in muscle mass / strength or an increase in body fat doesn't happen that quickly.  Yes, you want to be as physically active as you can right now, but doing push-ups instead of doing heavy sets of bench press will carry you through during this tumultuous time.  Similarly, as long as you remain as active as you can, you are not going gain a significant amount of body fat by missing out on your regular group fitness classes.  Let me also give you two pieces of hope if a change in appearance is your main stressor.  First, our bodies have muscle memory.  Just because you aren't training as hard as you once were, when everyone is able to resume, you will get back to where you were much faster than it took to get there in the first place.  Second, we are all in this together.  The gyms and parks are closed for most everyone.  So the same way that you can't hit the weights, I can't hit them the same either.  We will get through it!

          The second thing that I want to do today is to give you a tip on how you can stress less.  I know it is easier said than done to tell someone to not worry about something.  And, the point of my blog is to keep you motivated and offer advice.  Therefore I want to give you some of the best advice I have ever received in terms of reducing anxiety.  The biggest stress reducer I have ever encountered is the ability to be grateful.  Gratitude is stress' s kryptonite.  Rather than dwelling on what isn't going well right now, focus on what is.  Here is a tip, complete the phrase "At least..."  I have never been a fan of the saying "It could always be worse."  Because many times, like now with the Coronavirus, we may find out a short time later that it does in fact get worse.  And, if you are in a pretty bad spot, thinking about something negative, like the "worse," doesn't make you feel any better.  On the other hand, I think anyone, even those in dire situations, can find at least one "at least."  For example, "I might not be able to get to the gym, but at least I can still go for a jog around the block."  What I have found personally is that as you find one "at least" it becomes pretty easy to find some more.  And this works here too.  "I might not be able to tear it up in the gym right now, but at least I am not one of the one's suffering with the virus affecting so many."

          Staying motivated to reach your fitness goals was a mental challenge in the pre-Coronavirus world.  Reaching them now, with all of the new roadblocks is even more exacting.  But you can do it, and you will.  We will.  All of us.  Just as it was with any other stumbling block that might have come up in your path, this too can be overcome.  The key is to stay mentally healthy.  Don't let yourself be shook from your goals.  You can still get there, just the path isn't as straight as you once thought.  Stay positive, and you will reach your goals.  Being optimistic, even in these dire times, will keep you strong!  Taking care of your mental health is the sanguine way to reach a fit new you!