The past few years has taught the fitness and wellness industry many lessons. Mostly, the majority of our population is NOT getting healthier. For decades we relied on big gyms & private studios for fitness and we got away from keeping it simple. We are relying more on the convenience of online shopping and resources and that means that it’s easier to stay at home and exercise.
A HEALTHY HOME is a HEALTHY YOU and you have the power and control to make it work for YOU.
Here are what I did and some ideas you can use…
1. A home fitness space – I ran to Home Depot to quickly refresh an 8×13 space in the back of my garage. I, fortunately, was hoarding some equipment in my garage already, but I bought 4 Pieces of Sheetrock, 1 Piece of Plywood, 50 Furrings Strips, Paint, Stain, a 1.5″ PVC Pipe with Fittings/Cement and I built a decorative garage gym (pictured above). Maybe for you, it’s a small space in your living room or bedroom. You can move furniture temporarily if needed. A space roughly 8×8 is all you need. It only needs to serve a small portion of your day – but an important one that is designated for maintaining a healthy & well functioning body.
2. A loaded & prepared kitchen – During all of this, staying safe is staying home. For me, that meant fewer grocery store visits and limiting how many people I would expose myself too. Things will eventually get better but that meant, buying foods with a longer shelf life along with canned foods that could be stored in a dry/cool place. EG: Quinoa, Steel Cut Oats, Beans, Tuna, Veggies, Dried Fruit. For the fresh foods and meats, the answer is to freeze what you can. Cut up peppers, onions, broccoli florets into freezer bags, and can even saran wrap individual chicken breasts, turkey/beef burgers, etc.
3. A workspace for my mental focus – It’s very easy to get distracted with all of the headline news, memes, & Facebook rants. It’s also easy to feel disorganized without a solid structure of our regular everyday lives. I pivoted to coaching health and wellness from home & making sure my Nurse Practitioner’s wife gets relaxation time when home. I created an office area in my house where it is quiet. It’s where I read for positivity thoughts, guidance, perspective, and new information. It’s where I’ll work my business, host & attend Zoom meetings/webinars, and make phone calls to family/friends/mentors/colleagues. It provides a mental space for me to block out the world, challenge my own mental thoughts, and seek new ways of a better me and a better future.
Your home is where comfort lays, but now we need to think about what brings out the best version of your overall health, wellness, and productivity. The happiest version of you is a healthy one all-around – Mind, Body, and Soul.
– Stephen Wickes, MS, CSCS