How Staying Home is Changing Fitness Routines

We are going through interesting times now. Many of us are adjusting our lifestyles in ways that we have never had to before. This is the time to look after one another.

I have asked some athletes about the impact of COVID-19 and changes to their lives. All forms of athletic activity are undergoing changes and restrictions. 

The new balance includes furloughs, working from home, daycare, and homeschooling. And somewhere on the list is fitness. 

Here are some comments about changes from coaches and athletes themselves. 

Read more

Start Today, and Do Not Give Up

The first step is always difficult. You have to understand that there is a goal to be achieved. The fear of the unknown can make you hesitate and question your ability to succeed.

Psychology Today defines fear as, “an emotional response induced by a perceived threat that causes a change in brain and organ function, as well as in behavior. Fear can lead us to hide, to run away, or to freeze in our shoes. Fear may arise from a confrontation or from avoiding a threat, or it may come in the form of a discovery.”

Fitness, for some, is automatic, almost natural, and little thought is required. To others, fitness requires a well thought out plan. The plan can include having a partner on the journey to offer moral support.

Read more

Scheduling Love

When last we met, my husband Chris and I had passed all of our infertility tests and were moving onto treatments. Treatment (in this instance) is a nice way of saying, we’re going to tell you when to “try” to get pregnant. And trust me—there’s nothing like being told, “You have intercourse tonight”* to kill any mood.

*You didn’t read that wrong, that is the exact sentence I was told by German nurses multiple times.

Before being told to “try,” they brought me in (sometimes multiple times a week) to see where I was in my cycle. If you’re like me, biology was not your strong suit. I took a sex education class in middle school and a biology class in high school. Apparently, those classes didn’t adequately prepare me for this journey.

Read more

Being Scared is OK

“Mom, if a hawk came swooping down and tried to grab me, would you be able to save me?” a little boy, about 6, asked his mother. 

“Oh, I would take a stick and whack him,” she said.

“But, what if an eagle came. He is much bigger and probably stronger than you. What would you do?” he persisted.  It was a warm spring day and I was 10 feet behind them.

“Honey, I would throw a rock and beat him off with my fists,” mom continued.

“So, if a bear jumped out right now, I would be dead, wouldn’t I?” he said, with increasing anxiety. 

“I can only say I would do everything I could to protect you,” she said.

The world is terribly scary to a little one, especially with the scourge of the COVID-19.

Read more

Was ist Infertility?

So we left off with me moving to Germany not having completed all of the infertility tests that I needed. I quickly found myself in a frozen tundra of a land whose language and culture I didn’t understand.

Being in a new country, it took me some time to work up the nerve to start the process all over again. If I don’t acknowledge it, it isn’t a problem, right? Either way, I was able to distract myself with traveling. Please learn from my mistakes and don’t delay this process.

After some gentle, but necessary nudging from my mom, I took the leap to resume this unclear journey.

Read more

I am a Work in Progress

Time for some tough talk! The year has started, but have you? Maybe you made some resolutions but never put them to paper let alone execution. It’s time to be real with yourself and ask the question, do you care about health and fitness? If you don’t, you can stop here. If you do, continue to read.

An overriding obstacle for many people is not having the confidence in themselves to succeed. You don’t need to be judged by anyone, and you don’t need their approval. Your choice for your fitness program is personal and what makes you feel good and happy.

Years ago, I went to an aerobics class and lasted one session because I felt so embarrassed that I couldn’t keep up. When everyone was up, I was down, and I couldn’t didn’t catch on. So, I did what many of us do and returned to my comfort zone.

Read more

COVID-19 and Military Families: What You Should Know

Most people around the world are being exposed to information overload on the COVID-19, also known as the Novel Coronavirus. Over the course of four days, my adopted home of northern Italy (where we are currently stationed) has gone from simply hearing about the virus (like everyone else) to being front and center of a news onslaught. Italy now has the third highest rate of outbreaks in the world and an astonishing 200 confirmed cases in those four days. This has everyone in the Veneto and the surrounding regions trying to make sense of what is happening and where to go from here.

Read more

Do You Possess the Willpower to Follow Through?

The months continue to pass by, and what you planned to achieve might have gotten away. What happened to your fitness goals? 

It happens too frequently, the interruptions and sacrificing your aspirations to fit in others. But you can still achieve your goals if you want them bad enough. You can analyze what it will take. Do you possess the willpower to follow through?

You can increase your chances of success when you have others to assist and recognize your talents. In order to be successful, you must have the desire to want to improve.

In this column we will visit with Emily Harrison Torrence.

Read more