I am a personal trainer & nutrition coach, a 2x professional athlete with Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE) currently holding the title for UFE Pro Bikini World Champion, and a proud Magnum Nutraceuticals athlete. I believe and practice fitness in three parts: body, mind, & soul.
2020 isn’t quite looking how we originally planned it to be, but that’s not to say we can’t make the most of what has been given to us. Looking at it on a more positive note, we have all been given the gift of time. Even more, we can use this time to THRIVE.
This isn’t a “How to Survive A Pandemic 101 Guide” because let’s be real here, this has never happened before. What we are going through right now has created so much uncertainty in all of us, increased anxiety, and depression in most of us, and well, it just plain sucks. However, there are ways for you to thrive and stay healthy so that you can not only continue working towards all your fitness goals but work towards becoming your best.
IN ORDER TO THRIVE, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT HEALTH IS COMPRISED OF 3 PARTS: PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL. WHEN WE TAKE CARE OF ALL 3, THE BODY IS IN HARMONY – WHEN ONE IS SLACKING, THE OTHERS CAN’T FUNCTION AT THEIR BEST. WE MUST HAVE BALANCE.
I have put together here, a body, mind, & soul plan to ensure that all 3 can be taken care of during these challenging times.
Let’s Get Physical
With gyms closed, we don’t have any other choice but to get our workouts in from home. This can be challenging if you don’t have any equipment, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! Our bodies are meant to move, and it is so important for our health to get 30 minutes (minimum) of exercise every day. Here are 8 awesome moves that you can do from home at any time that requires ZERO equipment! Perform 3 sets of 10 reps each, for a full-body workout.
- Push-ups
- Mountain Climbers
- Burpees
- Sit-ups
- Bodyweight Squats
- Jump Squats
- Hip Bridges
- Reverse Lunges.
There are multiple variations of these exercises that you can challenge yourself with as your strength and endurance progress. You can also add dumbbells and resistance bands if you have them!
THOUGHTS, ACTIONS & PRACTICES
We have all experienced an increase in stress and anxiety in some way shape or form due to our current circumstances, and we need to keep our minds healthy. It can be tough to shift our mindset, but keep in mind that the more we focus on the negative happening around us, the more negative we will find. Here is a list of 5 simple practices that can be done daily to help reduce stress, anxiety, negativity, and bring more joy to your day.
Get Outside
Spend some time outdoors. There is something about being surrounded by nature that reduces anger, stress, and anxiety. Explore your neighborhood or find a trail close to your home and enjoy a walkout in the fresh air.
Meditate
Give yourself a few quiet minutes every day to practice the art of mindfulness. A 5-minute breathing meditation will do wonders if you are feeling anxious. If you find it difficult to meditate on your own, there are plenty of guided meditation videos online and apps that can help you.
Practice Gratitude
Keeping a gratitude journal will help change your perception of EVERYTHING. Appreciate the small things, as there is nothing too small to be thankful for. Write what you are grateful for in a journal and update it every day – it’s food for the soul. Express gratitude out loud to yourself, your loved ones, and strangers. “Thank you” and “I appreciate you” are very empowering words.
Schedule Yourself
Keeping a schedule will reduce laziness and wasted time throughout the day. It will also help you to develop discipline so you can reach your goals faster. Schedule your bedtime, wake-up time, workouts, meals, TV time, the list goes on – and watch how much more productive you will become.
Challenge Your Brain
There is something new to be learned every single day. Now is the time where you can be curious, try something new, challenge yourself, and get creative. There are plenty of online courses to choose from, puzzles to improve your memory, and new hobbies to try.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Alongside the exercises and practices, it is important that we eat nutritious food, drink plenty of water, and take the supplements we need to keep us healthy. These 5 supplements will not only boost your immune system, but will also support your fitness goals, increase your focus, and reduce stress.
This multivitamin pack has everything you need to boost your immune system, improve your strength and exercise performance, and increase recovery.
This is an extremely advanced green and phytonutrient formula that improves sleep, increases energy, cleanses and detoxifies the body, and balances pH levels.
Getting the proper amount of protein is essential for our health and keeping up with our fitness goals. This 4-stage protein isolate has 30g of high-quality protein for timed digestion and supports sustained energy throughout the day.
Reduces workout fatigue & increases hydration and blood flow. Opus provides stimulant-free energy with all the benefits of a pre-workout and BCAA combined so you can build lean muscle & increase strength and muscular endurance.
Improve your memory, mood, mental energy levels, & stress, and anxiety. Mane Brain will help clear mental fog and maximize your focus.
And there you have it! This simple plan will get you moving, keep you strong, help you create a healthy mindset, and support your fitness goals.
When we work on balancing our body, mind, and soul, we become closer and closer to our best selves. Things might be different outside of the world right now, but that shouldn’t change your health and fitness goals. Your health matters, your goals matter, you matter. This is the time to thrive, body, mind, and soul. You can do this.
Karina Basacchi
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Photographer: Chris V Linton
