If you’re scrolling social media, then you may be seeing fitness professionals and instructors advertising free workouts or promoting donation based classes.

For many fitness professionals this is a scary time because many of our studios and fitness facilities have closed and we now must rely on the virtual space for income.

This hasn’t been an easy transition because as instructors and trainers we miss our clients and classes. We know they miss us as well! We spend significant amounts of time together each week (and in many cases we have done this for years!) We know a lot about each other and it’s sad to have our daily and weekly meetings canceled.

I have seen some criticism from those who feel that by promoting workouts and fitness classes that we are minimizing the seriousness of the pandemic and promoting classism by encouraging people to exercise during such a serious time.

I disagree in large part with that view because now is the time to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors like never before. Where I do agree with this view is that this is not the time (Really it should never be the time) to promote restrictive dieting, expensive fat loss programs, ridiculous detoxes, or use fear of weight gain during Quarantine as a marketing tactic.

Never before have I been more convinced that the role of Fitness/Wellness professionals is essential in a society that has unhealthy lifestyle and health behaviors. I am thankful to be a part of it.

believe that as Fitness/Wellness professionals we have a specific role to play in the time of pandemic. It is our responsibility to:

Coach the Growth Mindset
Evangelize and spread the proactive gospel of Boosting Immune Function
Advocate Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors with Practical Application
Be Credible and Trusted sources of information
Be Lights in the darkness

Growth Mindset Coaching

Why do we train? Why do we push ourselves until the last rep? Why do we take fitness classes that challenge us? Why do we discipline ourselves to do what we think we cannot do?

We do it to push past our limitations

We do it to do go past what we think is possible

We do it to challenge ourselves

I took a class with Head Peloton trainer Robin Arzon on the Peloton App and I loved what she said at the end of the class. I’m paraphrasing but she said: “We train for challenges so that when challenges come we’ll be ready to stand.”

That is exactly right. The role of Fitness/Wellness coaches is to coach people through the pandemic using a growth mindset. We believe that through this experience we can adapt and use it as a growth experience.

Growth mindset coaching is what separates the Real Fitness/Wellness professionals from the Wanna Bes. The Wanna Bes think Fitness and Wellness is solely about surface level goals. They focus primarily on six pack abs and a certain size. Those are the people who will be playing on (women’s) fear of weight gain during sheltering in place and promoting ridiculous detoxes and extreme fat loss programs.

Here is a Message I received from Top Fitness/Personal Development Coach Todd Durkin

I want to remind you that we got this. We can do it. We are resilient. It might be worse before it gets better, but that’s OK. This too soon will pass. It will. It might not be this week. It might not be next month.

But it WILL pass. Together, we will persevere. #WeGotThis

Actual Fitness/Wellness professionals like Todd Durkin and Robin Sarzon will be coaching people through with this type of encouragement:

We can adapt

We can get through this

Here are strategies to promote health/wellness

This is what you can do to boost immune function…

The wanna-be’s can only fear monger about weight gain, sell quarantine branded meal plans, and guilt trip around exercise. There’s no coaching, there is only selling fear and pipe dreams.

We are Evangelists of the Boosting Immunity Gospel

Disclaimer: In no way am I saying that everyone who has fallen ill has an unhealthy lifestyle, it’s their fault that they are ill, and diet/exercise make you bulletproof against all illness..

This pandemic has made it clear to me that our role as Fitness/Wellness professionals is to be evangelists of the Proactive Gospel. People do not need to be passive against illness. There are things that we can do to reduce risk and we need to make it our mission to spread this message when there’s not a pandemic but especially when there is a pandemic.

When the Covid-19 illness first came to public consciousness in the United States, I asked health and medical professionals about what we should be doing to keep ourselves healthy. They said to practice good hygiene vigilantly: We were told to wash hands, clean surfaces, and don’t touch your face. Nobody said, “It’s pointless to try and do anything. You may as well just get ready to get sick.”

Fitness/Wellness professionals have the same obligation to be evangelists of the Proactive Gospel of Health.

It is our job to tell people that they can lessen your chances of becoming ill by practicing healthy lifestyle hygiene.

It is important that we communicate the WHY of taking care of our health through healthy eating, stress management, and movement so that our immune function is high and so that we’re able to have lower risk factors for illness.

Is it foolproof? No but you have a much higher chance of survival during a pandemic with a high immune function.

Healthy Lifestyle Advocates with Practical Application

Fitness/Wellness Professionals have a job to spread the gospel of healthy lifestyle hygiene and they should also be mindful of diversity when it comes to the resources that eople have access to.

Let’s be frank: Much of America does not have money to spend on trainers, fitness classes, and sadly in the United States of America not everyone has access to fresh food and clean water.

During this time there are more challenges because many people have lost jobs, businesses aren’t sure if they will be able to re-open, stress levels are high as parents are attempting to parent and work from home at the same time, and people are understandably worried about the future.

We must be sensitive to the needs of American citizens at this time. There are great disparities in this country that we must acknowledge and as Fitness/Wellness Professionals we must understand that Healthy Lifestyle behaviors may not be the top priority no matter how much we would like it to be. There are places in this country such as Flint, Michigan where there is no fresh food available or clean water to drink.

Forty percent of its 95,000 residents live below the poverty line, with nearly two-thirds of its children living in poverty, deepening the void between residents and access to regular health care, food, and clean drinking water. So while coronavirus fears sweep the nation, unlike the Americans who have the time and resources to stockpile toilet paper, Clorox wipes, and pasta, residents of Flint are already lagging. (Source Vox Media)

Therefore We have to meet people where they are and utilize whatever resources they have available.

I put together a 5 Day Healthier Lifestyle Action Plan that you can access here with simple, practical and actionable Lifestyle Tips.

Here are some tips that Fitness/Professionals can give to promote optimal health and wellness:

Encourage people to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the supermarket instead of stockpiling potato chips, processed junk foods, and alcohol.
Teaching stretches or promoting movement classes on social media channels
Encouraging people to keep gratitude lists and posting positive messages
Acknowledging the fear and uncertainty that many people are facing. Being positive does not mean ignoring the situation or pretending that everything is normal when it really is not.
Post Fact Based Information from credible sources and not spread misinformation. If Fitness/Wellness professionals want to be seen as professionals, then we must act professionally by making sure to post fact based information and not posting detox and crash dieting nonsense

Credible and Trusted Sources for Information

Fitness and Wellness Professionals who are credible and trusted sources of information during this pandemic will be credible and trusted sources of information after the pandemic.

I have watched people in the fitness industry share posts stating that heart disease, diabetes, and obesity kill x number of people per day and yet nobody wants to change their lifestyle for that.

These types of posts are unacceptable and unhelpful.

When the world is dealing with a novel and contagious illness that can overcrowd the health system leading to a once in a generation pandemic, it is not the time for grandstanding and self righteous behavior from fitness professionals.

Instead use this time to discuss lifestyle behaviors and actions that can help promote immune function such as: eating fresh foods (especially fruits and vegetables), staying hydrated, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, encouraging people to exercise, getting fresh air and Vitamin D from the outdoors, getting enough sleep, and managing stress levels.

Fitness/Wellness Professionals should be intentional about sharing fact based articles about the pandemic and avoiding sensationalist articles. We should also use discernment when sharing politically charged articles because we want to be seen as a credible and trusted sources of information which adds to our value as a Fitness/Wellness professionals rather than the people who start political fights on social media.

Lights in the Darkness

Very few Americans have lived through a pandemic and certainly this is a first for our country in our lifetime so it is an uncertain and difficult time for many people. When we add in the economic factor, then it is a very delicate and stressful time to navigate.

Fitness/Wellness professionals have a duty to be lights in the darkness during this time. We have a responsibility to encourage and promote all aspects of health: Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health.

I am disgusted to see fear based ads that play to insecurities by selling fat loss programs (mainly to women) using fear of weight gain during sheltering in place.

Selling bogus detoxes, cleanses for immunity, and immune boosting meal plans and exercise programs have also unfortunately become a trend. These are “money grabs” from people who will do and say anything to make money. They do not have the public’s best interest at heart and they look for opportunities to take advantage of people…even during a crisis.

Many studios are closed and fitness/wellness professionals do need income at this time so I do not begrudge people who are asking for donations or charging for legitimate programs but it is irresponsible to take advantage of people’s fears and insecurities during a worldwide pandemic.

Taking advantage of fear and insecurities for money grabs is contributing to the chaos and confusion all around us. We now have the opportunity to live what we preach during our classes and sessions by encouraging people to keep going, you can do it, this too shall pass, and we’re gonna make it!

The majority of fitness professionals got into the industry because they are passionate about helping people to live healthy lives where they are able to thrive and live fully. Good Nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyle behaviors are tools for this pursuit. They are not meant to be weapons for more self-loathing.

The world as we know it will change after the Covid-19 pandemic. I believe now is the time fitness professionals must RISE UP and take their place in the role of prevention and teaching people to boost immune function. Expert after expert has advised boosting immune function in addition to practicing good hand washing hygiene as a method to fight the virus.

The responsibility of Wellness and Fitness Professionals has never been more clear to me in this time of uncertainty. I am confident that we will rise to the occasion and make it our mission to see more people thrive in the name of Health and Wellness. We can help those in the medical community by lightening the load with education and preventative measures.

We’re all in this together! Let’s all do our part!!