close

You don’t need the gym to reach your 2021 health goals

By Francesca Sacco 4 min read

If you’ve gained weight since March, you’re not alone. Just as the ‘Freshman 15’ is synonymous with weight gained during the first year of college, the ‘Quarantine 19’ has become a common way to refer to weight gain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the New Year offers an opportunity for a fresh start, Stasi Longo, owner of Sonshine Fitness in McMurray, is finding more people wanting to address their weight and health concerns. While there may be some additional challenges this year with pandemic-related restrictions, Longo said it is still possible for individuals to reach their 2021 health or weight loss goals.

“Not wanting to go a gym right now is totally understandable,” the certified trainer and nutrition coach said. “Some people can’t or don’t want to wear a mask. But that doesn’t mean you can’t reach your health or weight loss goals.”

Longo said there’s a lot a person can do from their home but encourages anyone looking to start a fitness routine to work with a personal trainer.

“You really need to hire someone,” she said. “Certified trainers learn your strengthens and weaknesses. When I take on a new client, I look at them like a new science project. I try to learn everything I can about them so that I can help them achieve the best results.”

That advice is especially true if you have restrictions or are just starting a fitness routine.

“Trainers help put you on the right path and help you set realistic goals,” Longo, who has been a certified trainer for over 30 years, said. “People see where they want to be, but they don’t know how to get there.”

Anyone can Google an exercise video, she said, but executing it correctly is something completely different.

“It’s easy to get injured. Especially for people age 40 and up because they don’t know when to stop,” Longo said. “People just jump into a class way above their abilities. Trainers are less expensive than medical bills. They can save you in the long run.”

Although she recommends working with a certified trainer, she understands that not everyone can. If you’re unable to hire a professional, Longo recommends jump-starting your fitness or weight loss routine by simply moving.

“Get off the couch. On nice days, go outside and start to briskly walk,” she said. “That’s something everybody can do.”

Longo recommends starting with a 20-minute walk. Taking time to stretch before and after can help prevent injuries.

“If someone is eating a good diet, the first 20 minutes in a target heartrate will break you even in calories,” she said. “I recommend you do it daily at least six days a week. You’re firing up your metabolism every time you do cardio, and daily cardio will help you to start to drop body fat over time.”

If you’ve got stairs in your home, Longo recommends incorporating several flights into your daily routine.

“Something I do a lot, if the person is injury free and has a staircase, is have them do 10 flights of steps every day,” she said. “Go up. Go down. It’s a nice way to get started in your home. Then, you can build from there.”

Building the habit is hard, but Longo said the best way to succeed is to make it a habit.

“It usually takes 21 days to make or break a habit,” she said. “If you can be diligent and do cardio for two or three weeks, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your goals.”

From there, Longo said you could start to add weights, squats, pushups and more. But exercise alone won’t get you where you need to be. Longo said people need to be mindful of what they’re eating.

“You’ll get better results,” she said.

She offers all of her clients tailor-made diets and teaches them how to eat to gain lean muscle and lose fat. Overall, her goal is to help her clients build healthy eating habits that support a healthy lifestyle.

Small adjustments, like swapping out unhealthy ingredients in your favorite recipe, can go a long way.

“There’s really a lot that goes into a health transformation,” Longo said. “Don’t forget to drink water! It’s really interesting how many people don’t drink enough water.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today