Let’s face it fellas, the last 18 months have been tough. Bloody tough. Who thought that the world would be where we are at right now just 18 months ago? Whilst lockdowns, self-isolation, quarantine have all become the vernacular, we have had to adjust massively, and above all else, be f**cking resilient. If resiliency was not something that came to you easily, boy you have had a lesson on it over the last year.
With our health and fitness, it’s something that should ideally be entrenched in our daily lives and done regularly across the week, but the COVID pandemic has either a) destroyed all previous healthy habits with the closure of gyms, pools and other fitness facilities or b) firmly cemented the fact that there is no way to get started on a fitness journey right now. A tough place to be. Thankfully, there is some hope, as we have seen the fitness industry embrace technology with things like virtual classes via zoom, in order keep clients healthy and active and, of course, stay in business themselves.
One thing is for sure in this uncertain world, COVID doesn’t look like its going away anytime soon. So, the sooner we establish what our exercise patterns look like in a lockdown and also out of a lockdown, is the sooner we alleviate the stress of missing workouts, gym closures and declines in our physical (and mental) well-being. But, for those Dads who haven’t been able to even start, I am here to provide some hope that there is a way to improve their physical wellbeing during this pandemic.
But how? I hear you say. Dads are pressed for time, they face work commitments, home schooling, household chores, closed gyms and lockdowns which make it next to impossible to exercise. Well, no, I didn’t say it was easy, but there ARE ways to tackle this, and in extreme situations (like say, during a pandemic with lockdowns), it needs a bit more of a thought-out approach, but it’s still possible to really take back control of your health.
What I mean by this is we need to start by drilling down on what you want to achieve from your health, understanding the struggles and pressures of being a busy father and develop a plan that takes into the current COVID climate and parenting responsibilities. It should be complementary to your life and not against it.
“Oh man, that sound like a lot of work!” Well, it can be, but now we give rise to the online fitness coach who can guide clients through these stages in order to achieve their ultimate success – no matter where they live. In my online fitness coaching business, the scenario planning component and what to do when lockdowns hit, are key in the current environment and ensures Dads are prepared for anything. It alleviates stress and compliments their lifestyle, as opposed to turning it upside down and adding in another stress when the world is already in chaos.
What success looks like for each individual is different, hence all approaches need to be different. But outcomes are much more effective than a traditional in-person trainer who is often seen just once a week, when they take the Dad through his exercise program. Once through this process, we don’t want to see clients coming back as we’ve built the psychology and behaviours foundationally in the person’s psyche. So they are not reliant on us, anyone else or life circumstances to keep their health and fitness habits up. They leave self-sufficient, more educated and health and fitness is firmly part of their lives in a COVID world or not. Sometimes Dads just need a little bit of help to break old thought and behaviour patterns and establish new ones. And it’s important now, more than ever, to reach out for that type of help.
If you’d like to get in touch, Steven Dornik is a fitness coach at Peak State Health and Fitness, who specifically focuses on helping Dads rediscover their health and fitness, details below.
Steve Dornik
Health and Fitness Coach
Certificate IV – Fitness, 8 x Ironman
Peak State Health and Fitness
Coaching enquiries: stevendornik@gmail.com mob: 0400 886 119
@peak_state_health_and_fitness
@PeakStateHealthandFitness
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