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Move on with Online Training

July 2020

Rebeca and her Dog

One of the remarkable things about humans is their ability to adapt to change. And WOW, have we all gone through some changes these past months since COVID-19 entered the human world. To varying degrees, our lives became more “locked down” and even more sedentary. One thing that hasn’t changed is the body’s need for movement. When gyms were closed in Michigan on March 16, 2020, I had to quickly find a way in which I could still help my clients meet their movement needs…after all…I am a movement coach. I turned my bright, sunny dining room into a home gym to create a positive space in which to connect with my clients and conduct their training sessions through various virtual platforms. Whether it be Zoom, Google Duo, or FaceTime, they receive the high quality, individualized coaching to which that have been accustomed. A fun bonus has been the addition of my assistant personal trainer, Bert. Bert is my 7-year old black Labrador who is quite the charmer. Whether it’s his spontaneous “crack attacks”, his soothing presence, or his even his snoring, Bert seems to put smiles on faces of people who are feeling stressed, anxious, and isolated. He has been a therapy dog to many, including me. Moving well and moving often is key to a sustainable, functional, and healthy lifestyle. So let’s move through this pandemic together.

Through this transition to online coaching, there have been some silver linings as well.

  1. By doing virtual training sessions, I was able to solidify home programs for clients. Prior to the pandemic, several clients did not quite feel confident and/or comfortable in their home space. By showing me what they had available, I was able to assist them in creating a functional space in which they could exercise. They now exercise even more frequently than before. And that is a big win for their health and functionality.
  2. As some ventured to their cottages to escape the cabin fever they were experiencing, they were able to continue with their exercise and training sessions because we were already set up on a virtual platform. Many have even said they would like to do the online training session even when they travel (whenever that may be).
  3. Instead of missing a training session due to dreadful road conditions in the winter, clients can zip into their functional home exercise space they have already created, and we will connect virtually for their training session.
  4. Zoom, Google Duo, FaceTime, etc. have opened up numerous avenues for connecting to my clients. In a strange way, I am grateful for the opportunity to venture into a new and exciting platform that I otherwise may not have tried.

March 2014

On March 18, 2014, I had the privilege to give the physical fitness presentation to the Girl Scout Troop at Saint Gerard’s parochial school.  The girls were 9-12 years of age.  The afternoon began with an overview of why physical fitness is important to our health and development.  It is between the ages of 5-12 is when we learn most of the motor patterns that we will carry with us for the remainder of our lives.  We talked about that while some people may choose to do traditional sports, strength training, or cardiovascular exercises, there are limitless possibilities to the physical activities you can do.  We talked about dancing, hiking, and even kayaking.  The key is to find something you enjoy and get MOVING!

We then did a dynamic warm-up consisting of fun, full-body movements to get the blood pumping, increase the heart rate, and prepare our minds and bodies for exercise.

Inch Worm…Everyone’s Favorite!

The Girl Scout Troop then partnered up with one another and challenged themselves to a fun circuit of 8 exercises focusing on the upper body, lower body, and core.

Mountain Climbers

Air Ball Hamstring Curls

Tubing Trunk Rotations

Getting Ready for Goblet Squats

After completing the 8-exercise circuit (1 minute at each exercise with 30 seconds to have a quick breather and transition to the next exercise), we cooled down a bit and did some stretching. And while some of the girls were surprised at how breathless they were even after the warm-up, every single girl was smiling by the time we were finished. Exercise is one of the quickest ways we can improve our mood. So keep on moving girls!