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With the COVID-19 pandemic, many aspects of daily life have taken a backseat. And rightfully so. The fitness world has seen its share of turmoil as the Olympic games, the Boston Marathon, all NCAA championships, and all professional sports leagues have been cancelled or postponed indefinitely. Many personal fitness goals have been compromised as races and events world-wide have been cancelled, gyms and pools have been shut down, and most places are enacting ‘shelter in place’ protocols.
Triathlon by its very nature is a lonely, solitary sport. However, during race weekends triathletes come together with spectators, friends, and volunteers and it seems the entire world revolves around swimming, biking, and running. This was the case this past weekend at Ironman Maryland. It was wonderful to see all the athletes, volunteers, and spectators supporting each other in lofty, ambitious, superhuman goals.
As I reflected on all the people that contributed to me being there on race day, I considered the team each athlete has around them which brings them success. There are spouses and families, physical therapists and chiropractors, and of course training partners. And while I as a coach caution about training exclusively in groups, there are some significant advantages to working out with others. Despite the groundhog seeing his shadow, we’re still in the 30’s and 40’s here in the DC area. Along with much of the country, we’re not seeing the warm temps just yet which can put a real damper in the Springtime workouts many of us look forward too. So, to help us get through the last bit of winter, I’ve listed a few of my favorite cold-weather workouts (some are indoors;) They are all under an hour and are actually fun!
As many of you know, I’ve been sidelined the past few years with various injuries which have made it difficult for me to run at full strength for quite some time. While I have a track background, distance running has not always been my passion. However, It’s interesting how much more we desire to do things when we are temporarily restricted from doing them-- and running has been no different. The past few years, I’ve craved being able to run again pain-free (and sometimes simply to run at all).
With increasing demands on our time, our gym time, pool time, or ride time suffers. And while some fitness stalwarts are able to adapt their schedules to still get in that all important workout, there are those who adopt the ‘all or nothing approach,” choosing to forego ANY workout if they can’t get their intended hour of gym time, or 8 mile run, or 20 mi ride in.
For example, I recently learned of the husband of a client, who really needs to get back into shape. A former athlete, he didn’t feel like the ‘time was right’ for him to start working out again because he “couldn’t give it 100%.” While the desire to give everything you have to an exercise routine is noble, at times it’s simply not practical. Over the last several days, I’ve had some insightful conversations with a few of my clients centered around how to ‘fit in exercise’ into our already crazy lives. More specifically, one of the most frequent comments I hear is, “I don’t have time to exercise because my job is so demanding.” I can certainly sympathize, having left a fast-paced sales career for the fitness business. I remember all too well the late nights at the office or out on the road. And here in DC, so many are beholden to late-night congressional votes, RFP’s, and proposal deadlines, which leads to an abundance of 9:00 pm meetings and even the occasional all-nighter. With all the demands on your day, how do you keep yourself from turning into an overstressed, overweight, lethargic drone? How do you prevent becoming the one who’s forgotten what running shoes look like, much less how long it’s been since you've actually used them?
While quitting your job to maybe seem like a blissful solutions at times, it’s probably not practical. So what do you do when there is simply no way to squeeze any exercise into your jam-packed work day? Here are 10 ways to fit in fitness at work: The end of February is usually a challenging time of the year to stay motivated to reach fitness goals. The health and fitness New Year’s resolutions we committed to so resolutely in January have been pushed to the back burner, and swimsuit season is still months away. Cold, wet weather makes exercising outdoors difficult for all but the most die-hard fitness fanatics. The gyms are still packed, and trying to fight for a spare treadmill or squat rack is demotivating, to say the least. So, how do you stay active and motivated during the winter months?
With the year almost over, it’s a good time to reflect and reevaluate last year’s goals prior to making New Year’s resolutions for this year. Last year, did you meet your goals? Did you drop those extra pounds, invest that extra paycheck, or race a personal best at your “A” race this year? Did you get to spend more time with the family, or run that 5k with at your children's’ school? Were you able to get to the gym more or eat healthier this year like you’d planned?
Well, if you answered “no”, you’re not alone. |
