I know it’s a tough time for lots of people thanks to the lockdown and the coronavirus. Some people may not have spent time with their moms. You may not be working. You may be stuck in your house or apartment. You may be gaining weight because you can’t go to the gym and you’re not eating the way you should. Especially since food can be a source of comfort at times. In the last month I’ve been struggling with losing weight, but I haven’t gained. That’s a plus even though I haven’t really budged the needle on the scale all that much. I’m trying to hang in there until things get back to normal or the “new normal.” I’m sending good thoughts your way to hang in there also. Things will change and they’ll change for the better! Hugs to you all!

This month has been a wash for me in terms of losing weight for a number of reasons. First, the Y and the yoga studio where my sister teaches have been closed. Second, I tend to eat when I’m emotional and while I haven’t totally lost control, my control has slipped.

Aware of that, I’ve rounded up the assorted fitness gear I’ve collected over the years. Dumbbells. Medicine balls. Resistance bands. Yoga mat, block, and straps. I’ve started doing a 30 minutes workout every day in addition to a walk while maintaining social distance. That has been hard thanks to people who won’t use common sense and move away as you approach. So we proactively move away once we spot someone and I hope that won’t be the new normal.

But back to working out. If you’re not a workout equipment hoarder like me, there are some exercises you can do or if you are a member of a gym or studio, check out if they are offering online sessions. My sister’s studio, Yogasoul, has classes you can do remotely. Visit them at https://www.yogasoulnj.com/ to find out more.

If you don’t want to do that, down below are some equipment-free exercises you can do at home.

Last but not least, how about dancing like no one is watching? Jumping up and down in place for a few minutes to get that heart rate up and your metabolism fired? Stand up straight and reach up to the sky, trying to touch the clouds! Movement of any kind for starters. Remember, a body in motion stays in motion. It’s a basic law of physics for a reason and it applies to everything, including our bodies.

Squats

Thanks to HomeSquatGuide for this demo!

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Great workout ???????????? by @kellfit #homeworkout #squatworkout #squat #homesquatguide #squatvideo

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Push-ups

Thanks to Jill Rodriquez for this demo of a modified push-up for those who don’t think they can do even one regular push-up! You can do this!

Assisted Lunge

Thanks to Paola Luma for this demo!

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Semana temática: Equilíbrio . Exercício de hoje: Lunge . – Inicie utilizando um apoio (utilizei uma cadeira) – A medida que o exercício pareça fácil, retire o apoio e permaneça mais tempo no lunge. . Passo a passo: 1°) Leve a perna Direita dois passos grandes pra trás 2º) Mantenha o pé Direito apoiado somente pela ponta 3º) Desça o joelho Direito em direção ao chão (mas não permita que ele toque no chão) 4º) Mantenha o joelho e tornozelo Esquerdo em até 90º 5º) Repita 12 vezes 6º ) Mantenha a posição do lunge por 15 segundos. 7º) Volte a posição inicial 8º) Repita com a outra perna. . – Observe a sua postura. Mantenha uma leve contração abdominal, imagine que sua cabeça está sendo puxada por um fio em direção ao teto, mantenha ombros afastados das orelhas e peito aberto. . Deixe aqui nos comentários as suas dúvidas e como foi a experiência para você! Isso certamente irá me ajudar a ser mais assertiva no próximo post! . IMPORTANTE: esse post NÃO é uma prescrição de exercícios individualizada e NÃO substitui uma consulta. Não deixe de procurar o seu profissional de confiança! . #FicaEmCasa #SemFerrugem #MexeEsseCorpitcho #Fisioterapia #Physiotherapy #Pilates #PilatesClínico #Matwork #Lunge #JosephPilates #APPI #AppiPortugal #SemanaTematica #Equilíbrio #Hábito #Saúde

A post shared by Paôla Wieler (@paolaluma) on Apr 6, 2020 at 4:45am PDT

Sorry about being absent last week, but I caught some kind of bug and it really laid me low. So low I wasn’t able to keep up with my regular exercise routine for most of the week. I was back at it a little yesterday with a slow walk on the treadmill which was about as much as I could handle. Hopefully, I’ll improve each day this week.

Today’s Motivation Monday is about keeping to some kind of fitness schedule and by fitness I mean “activity” in any way, shape or form. One of the things I’ve done in the last year in my desire for a new healthier lifestyle is to be more active. You may wonder why, but I’m sure you’ve heard that sitting is this generation’s smoking.

It’s just not healthy to not be mobile. So if you can help it, be more active. I’ve found that one way to accomplish that is to have a fitness buddy. In my case, it’s my hubby. We go to the Y together most days and keep each other honest. It’s rare that we both don’t want to go and on the weekends, we’ve both found things we like to do that are active. For him, it’s a long jog and for me, it’s a long walk.

My daughter and her new hubby have also paired up to be more active and have started their own fun way of doing it. They’ve set up challenges they undertake based on what happens in the latest Hallmark Christmas movie they are watching. For example, if one of the leads says “Christmas” they have to do 10 jumping jacks. Other actions lead to other exercises. Fun right?

That’s another important component of a new fitness regimen: Fun because if you don’t like what you’re doing you’re less likely to keep it up!

So, that’s my two cents on this Motivation Monday. I hope they help you on your journey to a healthier you!

Original Bikers Image by skeeze from Pixabay