How Fitness Has Helped Me During the Pandemic & Tips from an Expert for Staying Healthy During the COVID-19 Crisis
The coronavirus pandemic has challenged all of us to be resilient and maintain a normal routine while the world around us struggles to deal with the effects of COVID-19 on everyday life. However, the one thing we can all control is trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown the benefits of staying fit to maintain a healthy immune system, which we need now more than ever.
After reading an article on the importance of fitness during the pandemic, I was motivated to venture out of my home office, where I had been doing online workouts, and go back to working with my long-time trainer Matt Kornick of MK Bodyworks. While I don’t and probably won’t ever look like Matt, he and I have been working on keeping a normal weightlifting routine and following a meal plan to try to make sure I did not gain the “Covid-19” and otherwise stay healthy to continue to be able to keep up my normal work schedule and meet my commitments to our clients and my colleagues here at LP.
Matt was kind enough to offer some words of wisdom to others who might be looking to get in a better routine and develop and maintain healthy habits during this ongoing pandemic.
Do you agree with the studies that say being physically active and otherwise following a healthy lifestyle can help avoid the negative effects of COVID-19 or other illnesses?
“Yes, being physically active and taking care of yourself in a healthy manner and lifestyle may help you avoid the effects of COVID-19 and other illnesses as well. Just getting up and taking a quality multi-vitamin/mineral, essential fatty acids and B vitamins, like B-Complex and B-6, will significantly increase and boost your immune system.”
What specifically have you been advising your clients to do during these challenging times to maintain their health and fitness levels?
“Number one is to get in the right head space. I’ve worked hard to help my clients stay positive during this time because without a healthy mind then you can’t do much physically. Both my clients and I know what their health and fitness goals are, and if they are as important to them as they say they are, then they will get their head clear which will make keeping their physical goals to stay on track! Once we got that straight, all the pieces fall together correctly.”
What sort of feedback have you received from your clients about how you have helped them manage things through the pandemic?
“They are happy and blessed that I was hard on them a pushed them physically and mentally during this time. Otherwise, they may have gone down a downward spiral. A lot of people who make fitness a priority are in the gym not just to be “jacked,” but to boost their mental health as well. Exercising fulfills people physically and emotionally.”
What has been the most effective tip you would have to anyone struggling with the challenges of leading a normal life during the COVID-19 pandemic?
My favorite saying is “just take it one day at a time.” If we can all do that then maybe it will help not getting so overwhelmed.
What do you do to manage your own personal fitness level when you are also helping your clients maintain their fitness?
For me, it’s fairly simple. Being a competitive athlete growing up and being a competitive bodybuilder, I’ve always had the drive to be the best I can be. I’m always on top of my fitness goals whether it’s to put muscle on or lose bodyfat or take time off to recover. But it’s all about checks and balances. As much as I put into my clients, I need to put enough time or energy into myself or my mental state can suffer. So my advice to David Solomon and all of my other clients has been to take care of themselves so they can take care of others.
Wishing you all health and wellness during these challenging and stressful times.