Weekly Recap 3/15-3/21/2020

Whew. It’s been quite a week. We hope everyone is doing well give the current state of events. And we still have some great content for you all this week. Three of the four pieces are coronavirus/quarantine related and give helpful ideas, insights, and tips on managing the situation at hand. The 2nd article is a nice break from all of the coronavirus information and is very interesting. It is a noise that you have probably heard but didn’t know what it was, what is was called, or if it is something to be concerned about. Give everything a read for some useful information and let us know what you think!

Articles of the Week

Maintaining a Sense of Calm and Comfort: How Fitness Professionals Can Serve Their Clients Amidst the Chaos by Tony Gentilcore

Tony Gentilcore is always putting out great content and this one is no exception. Although the article is written towards fitness professionals, I think everyone can get something out of this one. We all know this is a weird, crazy time so as Tony reminds us, let’s make sure to stay connected and be proactive. Our fitness isn’t going to go away over night but we can be doing workouts that will help to minimize any losses. If maintaining as many gainz as possible isn’t reason enough, also think about how good you feel after you workout. So be proactive and get those workouts in! You won’t regret it. And don’t forget about staying connected with your coach and your gym friends. Even though we are quarantined right now, there are many ways to keep in contact with everyone. If your gym community is offering virtual workouts, happy hours, or group events, join them! Give the article a read for more ideas and insights on managing the chaos during this time.

Crepitus: Expectations vs. Reality by Dr. Austin Baraki

Have you ever heard your knee or elbow joint make a snapping, crackle, or popping noise? If you haven’t heard the noise from one of your joints, you surely have from someone else’s. These noises, called crepitus, are often alarming to people, even in the absence of pain. Dr. Baraki gives a thorough overview of crepitus and why in most, if not all, cases it should be ignored and patients should continue to train. Instead of living in fear that the crepitus will worsen and that more “wear and tear” will be done to the joint, patients should continue training and doing other physical activity to help maintain strength, range of motion, and function of the joint. Health professionals should also be educating and reassuring patients rather than promoting fear and hypervigilance of crepitus. Read this article to get more information on everything crepitus.

Instagram Posts of the Week

This week’s first Instagram post, “20 Ways to Stay Productive While in Quarantine” comes from @behaviorhack. With the overwhelming majority of us quarantined at home right now, we could all use some tips on how to stay focused and productive. It is way too easy to get distracted between social media being at your fingertips, the fridge full of food and cabinet full of snacks only a few steps away, a dog to cuddle with on the couch, and your watchlist full of shows and movies on Netflix only a click away. Behavior Hack has 20 quick and easy tips for staying productive during this time. We don’t know how long this will be our normal so let’s makes the most of it and still get sh*t done.

@behaviorhack

“While working from has it’s benefits…I think many of us are struggling to stay productive right now.

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Kids are screaming in the next room.

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The fridge is five feet away.

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Netflix can be open in about 10 seconds.

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Distractions are at an all time high. Now is not the time to give in. Now is the time to be MORE DISCIPLINED THAN EVER on executing your goals.

When this is over..it will be CLEAR who worked hard and stayed disciplined during this time..and who gave up and slacked off. Which side will you fall on?

Follow -> @behaviorhack ❗⁠”

The 2nd Instagram post of the week, “Light Switch vs. Dimmer Mindsets” comes from @thestokedbrogi. He goes over how instead of the all or nothing mindset, we should be thinking more along the lines of a dimmer or sliding scale. There are times that we can push it more on certain habits or goals and other times in which we need to pull back. This mindset tip is helpful during this time of quarantine because there might be some goals that we might have to pull back from but there may be more time to focus on others. For example, we may not be able to push our max strength goals but we can use this extra time to focus on increasing out daily NEAT by taking more walks and intentionally moving more and increasing our work capacity with home workouts with limited equipment or just our own bodyweight.

@thestokedbrogi

“Now more than ever, it’s important to set our Mindset right when talking about habit building.

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When we fall into the trap of the Light Switch Mindset, we may be realllly consistent for a bit.

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We change our routines. We eat all the ‘right things’. And we may even see some great results right off the bat.

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But what ends up happening is something comes up that throws us off. And that event (maybe a holiday or long day at work), turns the switch off - making us feel like we failed and throwing everything away. This then leads to a spiral of unnecessary guilt and, what can be, regrettable decisions.

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Instead, we should just think like a slider - having the ability to increase/decrease our adherence by increments.

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For instance, I know that I tend to decrease my adherence during the weekend when social events are more likely.

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We deserve those events and the idea of them shouldn’t scare us. So rather than throw everything away, I know to plan my meals and training a bit differently due to my past experiences.

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Now, instead of beating myself up because I had a good time all weekend, I get right back on track and slide the dimmer back up.

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All or this can be applied to our days, weeks, and months at the same time. Life is always adjusting and so should your slider.

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Maybe you’re an accountant and you recognize that tax season will make it harder to get in the gym and prep your meals. No biggie, just manage your expectations and slide accordingly.

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Or maybe you signed up for a spartan race or powerlifting meet, and you know you should increase adherence. Again, manage your expectations and slide on up.

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Whichever way you’re going, and for however long, it’s important to use this mindset to help us stay on track, and more importantly, enjoy the process.

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@stokedathletics”