We are all aware by now that the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced people to move around less. Weekend beach or camping trips that were normally enjoyed have been discouraged. Youngsters can’t go to the park or enjoy their team sports to relieve their infinite lasting energy. Due to shelter in place restrictions, grocery store visits have been significantly cut. Frequenting a favorite restaurant or coffee shops is out of the question due to their temporary shutdowns. These can be depressing facts. However, some light needs to be shed of the important movements our bodies produce that are linked with these activities. Our bodies can remain mobile, healthy, and strong despite momentary restriction of some resources we depend on.
When beach trips and small “staycations” for a night or two are removed, our options to recreate away from the hustle and bustle of life. We are prohibited to get the extra 12-24 hours away from stress of jobs, family, and our own busy minds. The packing and unpacking of our kid’s equipment, walking across the sideline, traveling to and from the parking lot to watch our kids ball games are momentarily non-existent. The lack of lunch breaks or walking to the coffee shop down the street negate a few thousand steps per day. Decreased store visits negates the normal physical activity of using your upper body to unload groceries and travel around the aisle of stores. Put all of these issues together and notice how much physical activity is being done per week. You’ll probably see that the amount of movement done per week has significantly decreased as we are stuck inside our homes and restricted from our previous physical activity as the pandemic restrictions continue.
Looking back before shelter in place took over, I moved my body a lot more. Mainly due to my profession of being a personal trainer and gym owner in Napa. I trained clients regularly in a 1000 square foot fitness studio. As I retrieved equipment around the gym for our clients, I’d walk around the perimeter of the room. I guided our clients throughout their exercise prescriptions and demonstrated how to exercise efficiently and effectively. After training four or five clients, I walked about twenty times around the room and demonstrated movements like squats, pushups, and planks for a full shift. Looking back, I repeated this type of shift four to five times per week. I didn’t know how much physical activity was conducted throughout my day until it was revoked. I also discovered new painful twinges in my neck, shoulder, and lower back along with my decreased time I spent working at the studio. I attributed these pains to decreased movement that caused my joints and muscles to get stiff and painful.
I’ve observed my friends, family, and peers to have similar conditions. Their normal activity has been reduced, causing under usage of muscles and joints that were used to more movement before the pandemic. To resolute this, we can be mindful of what our activities were pre- shelter in place. It might be useful to ask yourself, “what did my normal activities consist of 6 weeks ago?” Making efforts to track what you did and comparing your current activity will expose truth to whether your activity has decreased. Having this relationship with the truth of what was different six weeks ago can answer questions on why pain may occur, psychological states are being hindered, or if a few pounds have been gained.
Society wants things to “go back to normal.” I do to. However, history has played its role and affected our lives. We can’t just wait for the past to reinvent itself and expect everything to return to normal. You’ll be waiting a long time if that’s the case. Instead look where we were before this mess. Find out how we can match and even supersede our previous physical activities. Pandemic or not, a body in motion will stay in motion as long as we ensure to keep it that way through future obstacles
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.
