Healthy Tips for Men: Staying active and healthy during lockdown
Jeremy Jones, co-founder and master fitness coach of FunkFit in downtown Gilbert, Arizona, shares insight on staying active and fit consistently.
While June was Men’s Health Month, it seems like the summer months have all blurred together as most states still continue to navigate lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we’ve connected with Coach Jeremy Jones of Funk Fit and Cycle Ave. in Gilbert, Arizona, who has some useful tips for men to stay healthy and active — not just for summer, but beyond.
Q: June is Men’s Health Month. What are some things that men, who aren’t necessarily extremely active, can do to jumpstart or keep up with regular exercise?
Jeremy: Connecting an activity with a daily habit or event is one of the best ways to maintain exercise or get one going, too. With today’s current situation, many of us are working from home and our regular schedules have changed, but for the most part there are still a few things that happen consistently every day. Let’s start with… a shower! A simple habit that can be practiced is to do a set of pushups while you are waiting for the water to warm up in the shower. Turn the water on and drop down and do a set of 5, 10, 25, or 50, based on your current fitness level, and how long it takes your water to heat up. With the consistency of taking a shower (hopefully) and doing a set of pushups you could be doing anywhere from 30–250 per week. As long as you continue to clean yourself every day and associate this bodyweight exercise with your shower routine, you will get stronger every week. And before you know it, you will want your water to take longer to heat up so you can continue to do more!
While this is a great way to start your day, adding a walk toward to your day is extremely beneficial too. This is one you can pair with lunch or dinner. Either before you eat, or right after, go for a nice stroll around your neighborhood or at a local park or trail. Walking is not only physically beneficial, it’s also very beneficial mentally too. It gives you some time to destress, get away from your computer and emails, and to clear your head. Sometimes a refreshing breeze, or warm sunlight can elevate our moods and thoughts too. Pairing this with one of your meals (before or after) ensures 2 things… one, that you’re not going to skip a meal, and two, that you are at least going to burn off some of those calories you just consumed or are about to consume. Just like your pushups, start small. Maybe 5–10 minutes. And then start venturing out and finding new trails or paths to walk. Working up to 30–40 minutes per day is a great way to get some extra activity, burn some calories, strengthen your heart and lungs, improve your posture, clear your mind, smile and say hi to a few people, and come back feeling better about yourself for the meal you just ate or the one you are about to eat.
Q: Do you have any tips for men who find it hard to stick to diets, or even just healthier eating in general?
Jeremy: The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. Start small. Focus on one improvement — and be consistent. These small improvements add up over time and turn into healthy habits. Often times with diets, we attempt to go from A to Z all in one day. We might be successful for a few days or weeks, but at some point in time, we cave in and go back to our “regular way of eating.” The word “diet” in itself is short term. We should look at healthier eating as part of a healthier lifestyle. It’s on-going. It’s a way of life. And we all know life isn’t perfect. That’s why I love the 80/20 principle. Eighty percent of the time eat the foods and drinks that align with your goals and help you feel and look your absolute best. Most often these foods are REAL foods. Fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins, nuts, butters, and other good fats. And 20 percent of the time, eat foods that you might relate to more as comfort foods right now, or foods that might be part of different social events or gatherings. There is nothing wrong with eating hamburgers, pizzas, chicken wings, ice cream, donuts, etc., as long as they don’t become your 80 percent! What’s amazing though is when you start recognizing the difference in how you feel, and sleep, and think, and interact with others, based on the foods you consume, your 80/20 might naturally shift to 90/10 because you enjoy feeling and looking and moving your absolute best!
Q: Being in the gym or keeping fit outdoors is regular routine for many men, but there are also plenty of men who don’t get regular checkups at doctors to monitor internal health. Is this something that personal trainers encourage, or is the focus solely on the workout with your clients?
Jeremy: Just like any relationship, over time, deeper conversations and suggestions are shared between trainers and clients. In most cases, it takes us men longer to open up and truly share different things we might have going on in our personal lives, including our “internal health.” Developing a great bond with your trainer and earning each other’s trust, empathy, and understanding always starts at the workout level. Communication between the two might first start with how many sets and reps need to be done, but over time and consistent workouts, the more both parties begin to open up with each other, the more successful and healthier the dynamic will be. I’ve learned so much from my clients over the years regarding family life, being a parent (when that day comes for me), running a business, making tough choices, etc. and I know I’ve shared my level of expertise with each of them too. In many cases, I’ve also recommended routine checkups or encouraged them to go get things evaluated or looked at based on what they may have shared with me. This is where the role of a trainer goes much deeper than just a workout, you truly become a health and fitness advocate for your clients. And while initial conversations may just involve squats and dumbbells, truly learning more about each other and talking about matters such as internal health is the best way to continue to encourage each other toward a healthier lifestyle.
Q: Any additional tips/advice for men to stay healthy?
Jeremy: Consistency is the key. Working out for 2 hours every day for 14 straight days and then not working out for 2 months is not the answer. Again, start small. Schedule a set amount of time 20–30 minutes per day and focus on being active. Healthy and working out doesn’t have to be pumping iron at the gym for 90 minutes every day. Go for hikes. Play with your kids. Take up a sport. Do some mobility and stretching exercises. Take a walk. There are so many opportunities to move. With so many of our lifestyles becoming more sedentary, it’s even more important than ever to move. By scheduling your movement/workout time and/or pairing it with everyday routines (like taking a shower and eating lunch) before you know it these will start becoming healthy habits. Also, 2 of the most important things YOU can CONTROL for your health…drink water and get sufficient sleep. So often the basics are overlooked. Drinking a minimum of half your bodyweight in oz of water per day and aiming for 6+ hours of sleep per night will have you feeling great! And the amazing thing is all of these positive habits begin to produce a huge positive snowball effect that continues to motivate and encourage you to stay consistent because you love how great you are feeling, looking, and your confidence is beaming!
FunkFit was founded in 2008 to attract a fitness community of positive minded individuals who encourage each other to be 1% better everyday. Follow Jeremy and his team at: https://funkfit.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funkfit/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FunkFitAZ/
