Re-establishing a fitness routine after your COVID Coop-Up
Hey there, LUXUYMOMs®! This is Erika from The Sand Barre in Naples, Florida. I am beyond excited to participate in the launch of this amazing new platform for women to take a minute for themselves, sip their coffee (or wine 😉) and zone out!
The last seven months (OMG) have been a roller-coaster for us all, and we have grown accustomed to “Ugh, 2020! When will it all be over?” Many of you probably feel like you’ve barely been surviving, but you have!
“Me-time” may have gone by the way-side during this COVID Coop-Up, but now’s the time to take it back! Let’s talk about how to re-establish that and why it’s so important!
New world, new routine right? A little “me time” looks different for everyone, but for many of my clients that time is when they head to the studio to take a class – maybe followed by coffee with a friend.
As daily routines became non-existent in many households – in many cases, so did exercise. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, there is a way to make fitness happen even when your time is limited.
Re-establishing a routine can seem overwhelming, and at some point we have all been guilty of coming up with alllllll the excuses as to why we can’t set new practices in motion. But physical activity helps boost our immune system as well as increase our endorphins, which we are all desperately in need of!
Ladies, the best place to start is throw in some earbuds, go outside and take a walk! I know it is hot (at least here in Florida!), but do it before your kiddos get up or after they go to bed – breathe some fresh air and zone out for your own sanity! I promise the music will move you – or grab a friend and catch up while social distancing!
If this is where you are starting, that’s awesome. Step one, CHECK! Do it again tomorrow. It might be 15 minutes and you work your way up to 30, but you’re out there doing it!
Ready to add a little strength? Try walking for 10 minutes, then do 10 walking lunges – then walk for 5 mins followed by 10 more lunges, and finally 10 more minutes of walking.
Too much? Build up to it! Baby steps – you will get there. If you can find a spot to do inclined push-ups at the end of your workout, awesome! Try and work your way to 10 reps. BAM, DONE!
If you have a little more time at home, try this routine:
- 10 Squats
- Right Side Lunge: Step wide with toes forward. Right knee & ankle are aligned and you’re sitting your seat back as if in a stool with weight in your heel, left leg stay completely straight. Pulse down for 10.
- For a little extra, follow with 10 side lunge knee ups. Push off your right foot, bringing your foot to your left knee, then repeat. Modification: Tap your toe rather than lifting right foot to the left knee.
- 10 Squats
- Left Side Lunge (see the description above for Right Side Lunge)
- PLANKING! One of my absolute favorite exercises for the entire body. Forearm or Long Arm Plank. Try both.
- Line up shoulders and wrists in long arm or shoulders and elbows in forearm.
- Start in a modified position with your knees behind your hips on your mat or surface.
- Connect by thinking about pressing your knuckles down or your full forearm into the mat.
- Zip your navel to your spine and press your shoulders out of your ears.
- If you think about doing each of these steps, you will get the mind-body connection to get everything out of planking, even in a modified position.
- Ready for a little more? Tuck your toes under and press up on to the balls of your feet, firming your quads by driving through your heels.
- Now think about each of these little corrections and get deeper into this hold. That’s all you’re doing is holding! Try to hold for 30 second and working your way up to 60.
- Modify when you need to and reset in child’s pose.
- You can continue building on planks by adding upper and body leg variations as well side planking. Planking truly works the entire body and scorches calories during rest. I challenge you to plank daily. You grow stronger, more balanced and more in-tune with your body.
You can do all of these exercises with no equipment and a little bit of time.
As you get stronger, repeat additional rounds. Ready for more but for one reason or another you’re not able to get to an in-studio class? Thanks to COVID-19, at-home options are more plentiful than ever, with virtual live and on-demand training with the expertise of certified instructors.
If you are looking for a community to connect and sweat with, I invite you to come check out The Sand Barre! We even offer virtual live classes daily if you want that community feel but in the comfort of your own home – or if you don’t live in Naples. We offer a variety of classes in the areas of barre, bounce, balance, and Buti Yoga. With so much on our plates, our health can easily take a back seat – but it doesn’t have to. Baby steps of working a fitness routine in to our new normal and it becomes a way of life. As we affectionately say at The Sand Barre #weloveyourface ~ Erika
You can get more info on Erika and The Sand Barre at:
The Sand Barre Naples
3375 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 202
Naples, Florida 34109
239.572.8189