Get in shape during the pandemic

With the stress of a pandemic along with social and political upheaval, it’s understandable if you’ve slipped into some unhealthy habits, such as eating more and exercising less than you’d like.

Fortunately, it’s not too late to make a change. No matter if you want to bulk up, slim down, or both, you can get in shape and stay safe, with a few adjustments to your daily activities.

Move your body

Whether you lift weights at home or jog around your neighborhood, it’s important to move every day. Sedentary living has many health risks, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and an increased chance of depression and anxiety, according to MedlinePlus.

Even though options are limited, as long as you have space to move, any corner of your house — or yard or garage, if you have one — can be your home gym. Pick a consistent time, play some music, and turn your space into a weight room, cycling studio, boxing club or whatever motivates you. Every day might look a little different, so get creative and break a sweat.

Do what you enjoy

Pandemic or not, you are more likely to consistently exercise if you choose something you enjoy. While running on a treadmill will do in a pinch for some, it may not motivate you, so mix in new activities. Whether you’re doing a structured workout or dancing along to music videos, as long as it makes you happy, you’ll keep at it.

For motivation, online instruction can help. Free classes on the web or in apps make strength training, cycling, yoga and so on accessible. Additionally, many paid subscriptions offer a free trial, so test a few options to see what you like.

Wear a fitness tracker

Fitness trackers count your steps, measure your heart rate, track your water intake, and more. Do some research to find a tracker that will help you meet your goals.

Along with a tracker, you can get personalized help from a trainer. Even if you can’t or don’t want to visit a gym, you can find a trainer who creates customized workouts, live streams group sessions, or meets online for one-on-one training.

Add healthy foods to your diet

Nutrition is essential to fitness. In fact, if one of your goals has to do with your weight, what you consume is more important than how you work out.

Eating food that meets your daily nutrient needs will not only help you stay in shape but boost your mood. Whole grains, lean proteins and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables are the building blocks to healthiness.

If you want to take it a step further, ask a dietitian to create a customized eating plan for you.

Check your hormone levels

If you eat healthy and work out but still aren’t seeing results, your hormones could be to blame. Fatigue, weight gain, loss of muscle, and trouble sleeping are just a few symptoms of low testosterone.

“Beginning in our 30s, our bodies start to become fatigued more easily,” viTal4men says. “You lose muscle mass, mental sharpness and libido (sex drive) begins to decline.”

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to check and adjust your levels.

“At the viTal4men clinic, we treat low testosterone levels with testosterone replacement therapy to get you back to your optimum level,” viTal4men says. “We are a complete men’s wellness center.”

Visit Vital4Men.com for more information and to schedule your free consultation.