These are definitely unprecedented times we are living in today. I know you’ve heard the phrase many times in the last six months, but it still remains true. Every individual is experiencing different emotions during this time and the emotions may vary day to day. We’re all dealing with different challenges impacting our mental wellbeing. Me included. What I’ve learned during this time is to never discount your challenges or emotions you are feeling and never discount those of others.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! These are certainly unprecedented times we are living in today. It’s so easy to lose track of time and the importance of taking care of ourselves both mentally and physically at times like these.

The winter months can cause many of us to get into a bit of a funk. It’s cold outside, it gets dark sooooo very early and all you want to do is cuddle up in front of the television and wait for spring. The last thing you may feel like doing is going to the gym or taking that bootcamp class to be yelled out for 45 minutes. I admit it, I am guilty of getting into this funk as well.

Running has always been part of my workout routine. Beginning with my first marathon 20 years ago. i remember training for that marathon one step at a time. I wasn’t a big runner, but knew I wanted to run a marathon to prove to myself I could do it. I started going on small runs in Central Park, starting with three miles and building it up from there bit by bit.

There are so many diets out there that it can be overly daunting to know what is the best for you and what is the difference between all of them. There’s Keto, Paleo, Plant Based, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30, Intermittent Fasting, and the list goes on. To be honest, I’m a true believer we each know our body the best and how it reacts to the foods we choose.

I had a bit of a scare in June, but all is A-OK! But I definitely learned a lesson. I went for my annual physical and I had slightly elevated blood pressure. It has been slightly elevated for the last three years, but not high enough to warrant medication.

Well…we all have some fears no matter how old we are. One of my biggest physical fears is being upside down! I still haven’t mastered the headstand and hated somersaults as a kid! However, there are times when we need to chip away at these fears no matter what they are. News to report…I’m chipping away at my fear of being upside down and doing it in Pilates.

I was fortunate enough to do a lot of fun traveling this winter, mostly to warmer climates. While traveling , i always try to keep myself moving and try not to go overboard with my meals, but I’m human and when on vacation I do slip sometimes and that’s ok. I’ve learned to forgive myself when I go a bit off track. It’s so important to give ourselves permission to take some time off from our rigid schedules and just enjoy. It’s called “recharging”. I found recharging to be so important to both my mental and physical self. We all need those times.

For those of us not living in warmer climates, winter can be a tough period to stay motivated to get to the gym and not give the ok to eat comfort food every night. Trust me I know how it feels. I was definitely feeling a bit sluggish over the past couple of weeks, but said to myself “Rich, snap out of it and get moving”.

As I’ve gotten older, I more than ever realize the importance of strength training in my weekly fitness routine. We all begin to lose muscle mass as we get older. This is why it is so important we continue to incorporate strength training in our workouts as we age.