Seasons of Sweat
how do you measure, measure a year?
If you spend any amount of time on social media, it's easy to be inundated with people who have made health and fitness transformations over the past five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes. And if you don't fall into that category, it's just as easy to shame yourself.
As Mark asks in Rent, “How do you documentary a life, when real life’s getting more like fiction each day?” Couple the “highlight reel” of Instagram with the surreal circumstances of the past year, and we have a recipe for feeling awful about falling off of our health and fitness routine.
Please know that for every one of the transformations you’ve seen, there are just as many people out there who - whether its due to home-schooling & WFH setups, financial setbacks, or stress, anxiety, or depression - have found themselves completely out of their health and fitness routine over the past year. However, if you’ve taken inventory of your situation and decided you are ready for a change, read on.
Once you've set the intention to begin your fitness routine, it is still important to be compassionate with yourself! Too often I hear from clients that their implementation of a new workout routine is rooted in guilt and shame: "I should be working out," "I can't believe I gained this much weight," "I've been so lazy," "I’ve been eating/drinking too much" etc. If you are reading this, I want you to put those things out of your mind right now! Guilt and shame are never ideal emotions to work with when trying to develop healthy new habits, so if this sounds like you, please take a moment to give the self of the past year some compassion. Know this:
Working out is not a punishment for what you've done wrong. It's not a means to an end to alter your body to some standard or ideal because it's not good enough. Being fit and healthy is our birthright. Our bodies were made to move! If you're dreading beginning your workout routine, but know that this past year has been too long of a hiatus, I implore you to do the following:
1) Begin with moving your body in a way you enjoy (not the way you read burns the most calories, or gets you into shape the quickest. Just like a diet, a selection based on those things will be harder to maintain).
2) Acknowledge, without blame or shame, that you are starting over, and don't compare yourself to someone else, or even a former version of yourself.
3) Start slow and work your way up to your goals. Easing back in to a fitness routine is about setting up a foundation that will serve you for the rest of your life, not about going from zero to 100 on whatever you choose as your “start date.”
4) Take a moment to thank yourself - for setting healthy goals and for committing to yourself.
Below, I’m answering some of the most common questions I’ve been asked over the past year.
What if I’m not ready to go back to the gym yet? What are the best workouts for me to do at home?
The best workouts to do at home are those you enjoy - so you'll actually look forward to them instead of making them another box to check on your to-do list - and the ones you will have to modify as little as possible. Having to modify excessively due to lack of equipment or space is a recipe for frustration, which makes it much less likely that you'll stick to your fitness routine long term. That means if you only have bands, don’t choose a program that works exclusively with dumbbells and barbells, even if it’s with your favorite instructor - you’re setting yourself with a built-in reason to walk away. Likewise, don’t jump on the bandwagon with the trendiest instructor because “everyone is doing it” - if the classes aren’t really your style - the novelty will wear off before you begin to make real progress.
How do I choose a trainer to work with remotely? At the gym, someone usually helps with matching me with the right person.
When choosing a fitness trainer to work with remotely, I think the most important requirement is to make sure that their specialty matches your needs. For example, I have a background in sports medicine and rehab, so the clients I serve are those who have an injury history and want a strength coach who understands and addresses that in their programming. If someone's main goal is to lose 20 pounds, I'm probably not the right coach for them. Of course, personality will be a huge factor as well - you should feel like your trainer is a friend, an advocate, and a cheerleader who also can give you a little tough love when you need it. I recommend hopping on a consult call with your potential trainer and making sure you will be a good match before signing up for sessions.
I don’t need a personal trainer, but do you have any virtual classes you recommend?
As far as online classes, my personal favorites correspond directly to three things:
1) Workouts that feel like a treat at least once a week - I save these for when I'm having a rough day or when I really don't feel like working out. Yup, even fitness pros feel that way sometimes! (I love Buti Yoga and PowWow Yoga for this)
2) Workouts that help me get better at a sport - I started taking surfing lessons over the summer, so this winter I've committed to doing a strengthening routine at least once a week that will help me improve those skills without being on a board.
3) A go-to online studio I can workout with consistently - this is my actual replacement for the gym. I personally use the Peleton app for this, but your local gym or YMCA might be the best fit for you, especially if you're already familiar with the group fitness instructors there. At this point, many gyms and studio are running a mix of in-person and online classes, to really allow them to accommodate the needs of their clients.
What equipment should I buy for my home workouts?
This probably is an unpopular opinion, but no equipment is essential except for your body and your mindset! Bodyweight workouts can be incredibly challenging, and there are many household items that can be used when we need some resistance. I have friends who are group fitness instructors who taught their classes over the past year with backpacks full of books to add weight, and I had my own clients use water jugs and soup cans when dumbbells were unavailable during the spring. I recently posted a socks-only workout on YouTube, not even sneakers were required! I'm a firm believer that lack of money or space shouldn't stop us from being fit - our bodies were made to move!
I have a small apartment and don’t really have room for a home gym set-up. What should I do?
I actually share an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with a roommate, so I have personal experience with this. I have a milk crate where I keep all my bands and dumbbels, and a yoga mat - that's it! It may not be the dedicated room home gym, or box-style garage gym that some of my clients are fortunate enough to have, but it serves it's purpose! The gym is wherever we say it is, so don't let lack of a dedicated space keep you from your workouts. One piece of advice I would have is to create a routine that transforms the space and tells your mind and body that it's go time, For my yogis, it could be lighting some ethically sourced palo santo or dimming the lights (I can’t be the only one who misses that yoga studio vibe!) Doing a HIIT workout? It might be setting up the same water bottle and sweat towel you used to carry to the gym, and blasting your favorite playlist.
I’m the type of person who will be more likely stick to my workouts if I financially commit. If I’m going to spend on a big-ticket fitness purchase, what should it be?
I would (again) really encourage you to think about the workouts you love before making a big-ticket purchase. What classes did you enjoy most before the pandemic? If it was spin, the obvious and very popular option is to get a Peloton bike. But if it was Rumble, think about investing in a heavy bag or speed bag instead. If you enjoy body weight strength work, I would highly recommend the TRX system. Runners, Woodway and Peloton both make excellent treadmills. If you love HIIT, the Assault Bike may be a great fit for you. Dance workouts? Splurge on a pole. Remember, the workout you love is the one you'll do, and you want to make sure you're committed to investing time and energy into your health as well as money.
Any other tips?
My last bit of advice about working out at home is to commit to yourself the way you would to a class at the gym. Put it in your schedule and don't let something else overshadow it. Especially with WFH situations blending our personal and professional time, it is more important than ever to prioritize yourself and your health. Some ways to do this include:
Put it on your calendar the way you would an important meeting, and don’t let anyone book over it.
Commit to a live class or personal trainer. When you’ve already set a time and date and paid for something, it will make you less likely to cancel.
Connect with a friend who either already works out consistently, or who is having the same struggles as you, and pick workouts that you commit to doing together. Having an accountability partner makes a huge difference. (This is what I did for the first several months, and it was the only consistent thing in my schedule, which was such a big help mentally as well as physically!)
Don’t forget to build off days into your workout schedule too!
I’d love to hear your tips, or any other questions you might have about continuing or starting a fitness routine at home. Drop them in the comments and I’ll be sure to answer you! (Also, please let me know that I’m not alone in my love for Rent.)
