By Stu Kershner, Personal Trainer and Physical Therapist
Okay, so life as we know it has been turned on its head. Kids are home from school, you are working from home (or possibly not working) and “social distancing” is the new buzzword. So, how do you keep your sanity during this time? You work hard to create new routines in your life as quickly as you can. And since a visit to the club is no longer your sanctuary away from work and home, it is time to find a way to have the space you need as well.
So, what options are available? Well, it just comes down to how big of a priority it is for
you and the resources you have available. I know one of my favorite workouts is going to spin class. Well, that’s not happening. So, I’ve made my road bike into my spin bike. Yes, you can put the back wheel of your bike on a special stand called a “trainer” and pedal indoors. And I channeled my inner spin class instructor and wrote myself a couple of programs to follow and found some music in my phone that motivates me to play along. I downloaded a free app on my phone that is a very cool clock and I run that along with my printed “spin class workout” and I sweat like it’s nobody’s business.
Oh, and I also like to get a good strength training workout done twice a week that takes me 30-45 minutes. Well, I’ve only got a handful of light weights at home, so I had to “hack” that situation as well. Here’s what I did to create my home gym:
• Created my “heavy bag” from a sturdy canvas bag and loaded my other weights into it (so I can do a 16 pound bicep curl and tricep kickback)
• Ordered some resistance bands with handles from Amazon
• Found a sturdy stepstool to use for step-ups
• Inflated my exercise ball
• Thought up as many bodyweight exercises as I could
• Joined the “Club Greenwood Workout Group” on Facebook (for members only) so I could get more
exercise ideas
And I resourced the most organized person I know – my wife. She made a schedule for our family for the home-schooling of our 4 and 6 year old boys. and I’m using my newfound free time to spend with them, support her while she works from home, and I get up at 5:30am every morning (okay, more like 3-4 days a week) to get my workout in before the rest of the family wakes up. Yes, it’s very different from our previous norm. But I needed to find something that would work for all of us, and this is it for now.
And now that I have all this equipment set up in the basement, the guest bedroom is now the workout room. And that is my new sanctuary. I do my workout and I have my co-workers (a.k.a. other trainers at Club Greenwood) that I check in with to help keep me accountable and keep them accountable (and sane) as well.
So, if you are struggling for a way to deal with the turmoil of this quite unusual circumstance we have found ourselves in, then it’s time to be creative, ask for help, and take this as a blessing to spend more time with your family. I know I’m not the best parent in the world, and I don’t have a preschool teaching degree, but I do know I can be the best dad and husband I can be while I’m spending less time being a coach. Take the time to find the silver lining and make this an opportunity in some way. Otherwise, you will be bored, lose your fitness and you will feel the stress levels rise. And when I’m stressed, I know I’m more likely to get sick. So I need this routine in my life and I needed a little help to make it work.
Stuart Kershner
Stuart is passionate about helping people reach their goals and overcome their obstacles. After injuring his elbow playing baseball at age 13, he went on to rehab and return to his favorite sport. This sparked his interest in helping people recover from injury and return to the activities they love. He blends his rehab knowledge as a physical therapist with his fitness and coaching skills, to help his clients by avoiding and recovering from injuries and reaching their ultimate fitness goals. Besides personal training, Stu loves to spend time with his wife and two boys while being active outdoors.
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Physical Therapist
Orthopedic Certified Specialist
Work with Stu: [email protected]