I am only slightly ashamed to say that I roll my eyes at other trainers' Instagram stories, pour chocolate chips into the open jar of peanut butter nearby (the one with cane sugar because I don't feel like stirring), pull one of my pets close, and eat a big spoonful while watching more often than I join in on the sweat. I'm not joking. I would make a pina colada like I'm drinking in this photo but I moved in April and can't find all of the parts to my blender. Correct, I haven't been making protein shakes either, you caught me
. I haven't even taken most of my friends'
online classes. This is not my world. I hate my phone, and always have. I hate how impersonal it is and all of the social and emotional cues we miss when we're staring at a screen just following a class. I hate repeatedly stepping on my blind, mostly-deaf dog in my living room (because, to my delight, Jane Fonda the dog loves a yoga mat but specifically limits her activity on it to napping) while unrecognizable beats blare through a phone because Drake songs require a special license to play. And you know what? That's okay.
What is WRONG with you?
was my April mantra. My May mantra is Just try, sis
.
We are not at our best right now. We may not be for a long time. I know how confusing grief is to people unfamiliar with it so I want you to understand that it's ok for you to be struggling. Two years after losing my sister, my family is still in shambles and all we do is grieve. I often read on people's faces sympathy mixed with "Still?" when I share that it still hurts to get through most days without her. And while I haven't lost anyone to this crisis (except maybe the friends who don't approve of my distain for texting), I feel something akin to grief in regard to this pandemic. I think we all do.
This is a crisis and it is hard. While we don't have to be our best, we also can't just lie and and quit all together. If you're able to join one of these fabulous weekly challenges Jenna Stern is leading, join in on RhythmLab or CarlyFit classes, or do a Whole 30 I think that's incredible! Do it and celebrate it.
But if you're stuck on the couch and haven't worked out in a few days...or weeks...you're not alone. Oh man, after a whole post of acting like I wasn't going to give tips, here I am giving tips. I am
a coach. I can't leave you empty-handed.
1. Just move. Every day. It doesn't have to be a traditional workout and it doesn't have to leave you gasping for breath, but exercise really does improve your mood and your productivity. Set small, achievable workout goals every day. Whether it's a walk or spending 8 minutes twisting your body into all the yoga postures you can recall.
2. Don't have all
the treats. If you've been having a martini every night, make sure you're not also having ice cream. Have some of the treats you want but make sure you're practicing some self control. Sugar is still really, really
bad for you, even during a pandemic.
3. Talk to yourself the way your best friend does (or should). I would never let someone talk shit on my besties. Don't talk shit on yourself, even to you. Remind yourself that this is hard - crazy hard - and weird and you don't have to know how to handle this. By the way, you're handling it right now. Good on you.
If you gained some pounds, then you did. It just means you took in more calories than you burned for a bit. It has nothing to do with your value and it's not a measure of anything but fat, which we all have. You are special and beautiful and you deserve to walk around feeling really really
good. So maybe go lighter on the chocolate chips and martinis (yeah, I just made it about me) and get outside for a long walk with your favorite face mask. You deserve that. Do one thing a little bit better for yourself most days. I'm willing to be anything that you can handle that. And if you're not sure you can, just try, sis.