Focus on Fitness During COVID-19

Hi! I’m Alexandra Tennant, a Washington, D.C. native, working professional, and fitness instructor. When I’m not working as a Management Consulting at Accenture, I love teaching group cycling classes at VIDA fitness (before COVID-19 started, that is). I’m also the founder of #ABSbyA, a new fitness series where I lead groups through super simple and doable 10-20 minute ab workouts! 

I had so much fun the other week taking over SIOV’s social media accounts the other week! Check it out here. 

Just in case you missed it, here’s the breakdown of all my tips and advice for building some time to stay healthy and active while working from home. 

 I know this is an especially difficult time for some people who have been laid off or furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be just as stressful as the most packed workday. 

Today, I’d like to highlight the importance of staying active daily during this quarantine with small, simple ways to stay moving if you are working from home. It’s so important to take care of our physical help and mental wellness, especially during these challenging times. I hope that sharing how I do my best to stay balanced and healthy helps you figure out new ways to make the most of your social distancing days.

How I Build Fitness Into My Daily Routine:

6:30 AM: Wake Up And Get Moving!

1. I like to get up early and start my day with a short cardio workout. 
2. Even if you’re not going into the office, putting on real clothes can really boost productivity levels!
3. Take a few minutes to think about one thing that we are going to do today to send positivity to someone in your life? Here are some examples:
   •  Have a Facetime call with your Grandma
   • Send that text that you have been putting off- now we all have no excuse to continue doing so! 

8:45 AM: Werk Werk Werk

My workday starts at 9:00 AM, so I like to be ready and in the right headspace 15 minutes before starting time. 

Here are some tips:

• Set up your workspace with everything you need for the day
• Limit your caffeine intake! This is a huge weakness of mine, and I’ve found that only having one coffee a day has really helped stay calm and manage anxiety.

10:30 AM: Morning Snack Time

Around this time, I make a healthy and filling snack. One of my favorite types of snacks are rice cakes with peanut butter and banana on top!

12:00 PM: Lunch Break

During my lunch break, I eat something healthy and then go for a 15 minute walk to work it off. This is a great opportunity to add some fitness into my day, get some fresh air outside, and get my blood pumping a little! 

During the afternoon, use your lunch break as a chance to consciously limit screen time. Try to step away from your computer if you are working from home!

1:45 PM Good Deed of the Day

If you haven’t already done that one thing you planned out this morning, now is the time!

3:00 PM Break: Phone a Friend!

During my afternoon break, I make time to connect with friends I miss. Texting is fine, but I feel more connected when I can hear their voices or see their faces on a phone call, over FaceTime, or on a quick Zoom or Google Hangouts sesh!

3:30 PM: Snack Time – The Sequel!

During the late afternoon, I take a stretch break and make another healthy snack to eat. My go-to is a PB & J Blueberry smoothie!

• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 banana 
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• ½ cup skim milk
• And of course ICE (your preference)

4:15: #ABSbyA Fitness Class Energy Boost!

This is how I combat that afternoon crash and fire up your core in 15 minutes – NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED!

Watch the video below to see me in action!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Do you hit the same old slump every afternoon? Rejuvenate your body & mind with this quick and effective 5-minute workout by @vidafitnessdc instructor @alexandratennant: 1️⃣ minute of cardio (jumping jacks or high knees) 2️⃣ minutes AMRAP (as many reps as possible): ✅ 4️⃣hip bridges ✅ 4️⃣ bicycles ✅ 4️⃣ reverse crunches 1️⃣ minute plank 1️⃣ minute of cardio (jumping jacks or high knees) 🏃‍♀️ 💪 🏋️‍♀️ The best part? No equipment needed! This is the perfect #quarantineworkout to slip into your schedule while you’re #wfh. We hope it helps you stay active and healthy! 🏡 👩🏻‍💻 🏠 @absbya

A post shared by Strength In Our Voices (@strengthinourvoices) on Apr 21, 2020 at 2:38pm PDT

Here’s the workout routine. 

1️⃣ minute of cardio (jumping jacks or high knees)

2️⃣ minutes AMRAP (as many reps as possible):

•  4️⃣hip bridges
•  4️⃣ bicycles
•  4️⃣ reverse crunches

1️⃣ minute plank

1️⃣ minute of cardio (jumping jacks or high knees)

Repeat this 5-minute session once, twice, or three times for maximum results.

5:00 PM: Wrap Up Your Workday

As soon as you’re allowed to, I highly recommend turning off your computer. The importance of shutting off technology sometimes cannot be overstated. I encourage you to refrain from viewing social media in the evening. It’s hard not to compare ourselves with everyone on the internet, but that can really get unhealthy! Give your eyes and your brain a break by getting offline for a while.

As your responsibilities for the day come to a close, take some time to find hope and be gentle with yourself. This WILL end. Remember how strong you are to live through something this significant that is impacting the entire world!