How to Challenge Yourself to Stay Fit even without Going to the Gym & Make Smart Goals during this Pandemic

The year 2020 is proving to be a challenge in so many areas of an individual’s life. With most places on lockdown and all travel plans canceled and movements restricted, little of what is happening remains to be “normal” and is quickly shaping up to having a “new normal” when the danger dies down. Facing such an unknown future is enough to take its toll on a person, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually.

It can be tempting to just roll over and curl up in bed all day or to binge out on all the unhealthy snacks you can find around the house – and the urge to fight them might not be enough. But not giving in to temptation all the time (a day or two will be okay) will prove to be a better choice as you go through the entire lockdown process till the end.

We already know how exercise and staying fit helps improve our mood and boosts our immune system, so how do we keep doing this when your favorite Nashville gym is closed? Take the opportunity to reach out to a fitness trainer and request for home workouts. Your local fitness trainer will be thankful to have something to do at home and will be more than happy to create a program for you. Or you can also look for a workout routine that is similar to yours on YouTube, and you’ll find that there are plenty of them. Another option is to subscribe to a fitness app and complete the programmed workouts. Surprisingly, there are items around the house that you can use as a substitute for smaller gym equipment – that gallon of milk, those cans of fruit, or even that full bottle of floor cleaner. You might find that it’s more difficult to complete these workouts at home due to the limited space and without those mirrors in your Nashville gym, but that’s all part of the challenge!

So let’s admit it, there will be days when it’s more fun to just sit on the couch and Netflix your day away… No one will even know if you won’t do the workouts prepared by the fitness trainer, or even the ones you looked up on YouTube, but the accountability is a huge part of the challenge too. Sure, you can fake it, but then you’ll only be cheating yourself. Not a good idea at all, right? A little bit of a pep talk with yourself will work wonders even on your emotional health and you’ll be able to get up and do some workouts, and in these crazy days, a little goes a long way.

When it comes to food, it’s a blessing that most fast food joints are closed or that you’re unable to go out to get some if there happen to be some branches open. But then, the supermarket aisles can also be a huge source of temptation for junk food. It’s okay to pig out every once in awhile, but your body will thank you when you put that bag of chips away.  We’ve heard it all before – making better choices when it comes to food does a world of difference to our bodies, and our moods, and our mental health. Substituting a piece of fruit for a candy bar will give our bodies a shot of nutrients that will aid our antibodies.

Some people find that cooking or baking to be therapeutic or cathartic, and making your food is one way to keep yourself busy and choosing a healthier option. Snacking on a bowl of oatmeal instead of a bowl of popcorn helps the digestive system, but we know that oatmeal can be boring, so we can twist it by adding fruits or a spoonful of chocolate powder. If your cooking skills happen to involve more than heating water for oatmeal, then this quarantine period is the perfect time to take it a step further. Most people resort to cooking and baking and posting the recipes online, and this can very well be an inspiration for you to try them out for yourself. Tweak the recipes a bit here and there to your liking and voila, you get to eat good food without the ugly calories and chemicals of junk food.

While this may seem like an unpopular opinion, but the best way to challenge oneself to stay fit and make smart choices is to act like you are an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient. You feel great, look great, but others around you might not be as healthy as you are and can easily catch the virus. Boosting your immune system by eating healthy and practicing good hygiene is your body’s best defense. Doing short workouts or meditations at home in your mind’s best defense. While it can be very tempting to go out and visit friends, staying at home is the best way for you to protect other people around you. Making smart choices is not often easy but it benefits you and those around you in the long run.

If you are looking for a fitness trainer that can help motivate you and give you the workout program that best suits you, Next Level Fitness is available 24/7. You can give them a call anytime to be able to schedule a conference with a fitness trainer. Their team can also help create a nutrition program for you that you can easily prepare at home.

The pandemic will take its toll on us in all aspects – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – but Next Level Fitness is more than willing to help you beat the lockdown blues by keeping you healthy and happy even when you’re at home. Reach out and get an online coach so you can stay accountable and someone can monitor your progress.

Stay healthy during this pandemic – release the serotonin and oxytocins through a good workout routine and help keep mentally and emotionally healthy.  Keep physically healthy by protecting yourself and others around you by boosting your immune system and staying at home. Remember, health is wealth!