Napa is experiencing one of history’s most trying times with the introduction of a new virus that I’m sure readers are all too familiar with. This new development has urged government and health officials to keep citizens inside their home, only being allowed to travel outside for “essential” obligations. Until we arrive to the other side of this historic calamity, we are limited in our resources to maintain a healthy state of moving our bodies. The media informs us that we are performing a disservice to our efforts to decreasing the spread of COVIC-19 if we go outside to often in the presences of others. Working from home limits us from going to our jobs where we perform physical interactions. Inability to interact with the world we are accustomed to doesn’t mean we should forget about the integrity of our body’s health and fitness levels. With a few simple themes to focus on while we are tucked away from the outside world, we can maintain our well being and endure this storm to where we can come out healthy and strong when restrictions are lifted so we can resume our everyday activities..
How can we continue to move when our gyms, fitness classes, and boot camps are momentarily shut down? Some of most simple exercises that target large groups of muscle activation are right in front of us. We are actually standing of equipment, the ground. The simple squat exercise can be performed at any time virtually anywhere in the dwelling you are residing. To perform, simply point your feet forward and act as if you are “spreading the ground apart.” Imagine that you are making a crack in the ground. Create torque on the ground by turning the right foot clockwise and the left foot counterclockwise. You only need to apply about 10% exertion to this portion of the exercise to ensure your glutes and lateral portion of the thigh muscles are sufficiently activated. This will cause the knees to drive out slightly. After this is achieved, sit your hips down and back ensuring that your entire foot remains on the ground. We don’t need anyone falling backwards. After you feel a brief stretch in your hips and thighs, imagine pushing your heels through the ground and bring your hips back under your torso to stand up right. Performing the simple squat exercise using your bodyweight alone works a large surface area of muscles that can benefit the body to have increased strength, decrease the likelihood of injury in the hips and knees, and help defend against lower back injuries, such as sciatica.
Another important theme that is right in front of us and ever present in our homes is hydration. We all have water. So, we need to drink it. One of the easiest things we can do to supercharge our health while being on restriction from the outside world is to get proper hydration. Euhydration assists in ensuring blood flows efficiently through the body, enabling nutrients and substates to be delivered to our cells. Adequate hydration also helps with lubricating our joints, which is a key contributor to reducing joint pain. With all the time we have inside, we can at least make sure to drink enough water. A helpful queue that we give to our personal training clients in Napa is to drink a tall glass of water first thing in the morning directly after waking. Additionally, another helpful queue is to drink a full glass of water after each meal. We want to aim for at least 3 liters of water every day. If we can easily track a component of staying healthy during the “shelter in place” saga. Staying hydrated is an easily attainable component that can significantly reinforce our bodies.
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to go out in your back yard and “smell the flowers.” Sunshine, fresh air, and colors are what are going to get us through this. If you’re inside all day, crack the blinds so some sunshine can come in. The stimulus of the sun and a little fresh air are the things that are going to keep us looking forward to the other side of this hill. If we don’t have something to look forward too, we won’t get excited. Make sure to safely check out the outside world every now and again to keep your mind and spirit stimulated.
The human race has endured hardships similar to the Corona Virus before. Natural disasters, war, and uprising in political beliefs have yielded similar results that urge us to seek safety. We rode through those undertows and came out the other side. We will ride through this as well to embrace the beauty of life as well. We may not be able to control what makes a virus occur. However, we can make decisions to keep our bodies and minds happy, healthy and strong by remembering to exercise, stay hydrated, and look the trees we are so blessed to have.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
