HEALTH
FIVE TIPS TO REVIVE YOUR HEALTHY LIFESTYLE By David Ingram, Esq. The past few months have been quite an adjustment for all of us. Our daily routines were stopped at an instant and replaced with a seemingly never-ending groundhog day — the quarantine. We sheltered in place with our favorite comfort foods or what was left following the panic buys at our local grocery store. Gym closures and a national shortage of fitness equipment left a void for many Americans — the ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With the stay-at-home order lifted and our post quarantine waistline bulging, many of us are eager to get back into shape. Like many, maintaining a healthy lifestyle — working out, being active, and dieting — was a part of my daily routine. This routine, frustrated by the COVID-19 restrictions, lead to many unsuccessful at-home workouts and bad eating habits. As gyms begin to reopen on May 26 and the “Safe at Home” recommendation easing restrictions, I reached out to my friend and personal trainer/ coach, Dr. Anthony D’Orazio, to discuss five tips to revive your healthy lifestyle post quarantine. Dr. Anthony D’Orazio at Complete Human Performance specializes in developing programming for athletes and individuals with body composition and physique goals to help them achieve a healthier lifestyle. During our discussion, Anthony used his experience in successfully coaching over 200 clients to list the five tips: track your progress, patience, plan, execution, and consistency. I will address each individually based on the level of importance.
Track Your Progress: As you begin to diet and workout, find a method to track your progress. There are various ways to track progress — tracking body weight, tracking food/caloric intake, taking photos, utilizing mirrors, or measuring your waist. Any of these methods are effective tools to track progress; however, the recommended approach is to combine several of these methods.
your healthy lifestyle. The recommended approach is to have a weekly nutrition plan and workout plan that advances you toward your goals with accountability check-ins throughout the process. Execution: Like planning, execution also has two meanings. On the path to reviving your healthy lifestyle, execution is an extremely important part of the process. If you have a plan, work the plan. If you don’t track your food intake, start doing so. Regaining your Patience: A healthy lifestyle and patience stride back into your old routine and healthy are often at odds with each other. A recent habits requires you to carry out the plan, example of this dynamic is the response to execute. COVID-19. Americans struggled mightily with the COVID-19 restrictions — wearing Execution also means performing exercises face masks, maintaining social distancing, with proper form. Proper form limits and staying at home. The restrictions, which injury and will allow you to bounce back were implemented as a matter of public sooner from any weight gained during the health, required patience to flatten the curve. quarantine. Not to say that you won’t bounce Achieving your personal health and fitness back or progress without proper form, your goals are no different. Remember, weight progression, however, will be much slower. gain occurred gradually. So, losing the weight and finding your rhythm with your diet will Consistency: Being consistent is the most take time. Managing your expectations will important part of the process. With anything minimize future disappointment. With that in life, being consistent will often lead to a said, a realistic timeline to begin to notice positive outcome. So, if you struggle with any of the items mentioned above, remaining results is anywhere from six to 12 months. consistent with your workouts and diet will Plan: Planning in this context has two likely help you reach your goals. meanings — working with a trainer/ accountability partner and an overall fitness David is a skilled attorney practicing plan. Locating a trainer or a partner that will business law and regulatory/administrative hold you accountable is important to reviving law at Kegler, Brown, Hill + Ritter. Awarded by National Black Lawyers Top your healthy lifestyle. After two months of 40 Under 40 2016-2019, his clients rely inactivity and unhealthy habits, the structure on his experience to provide counsel on and motivation provided by both will keep business matters, licensing, compliance, you focused on your overall goals. and professional license defense before all of Ohio’s regulatory agencies. He enjoys Depending on your preferred approach, a writing on topics from the legal perspective daily or weekly nutrition plan and workout and community service through his church plan are also essential components to reviving and the 411 Foundation.
The Columbus African & Dayton African American • June 2020 American News Journal • February 2015
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