ST. LOUIS — Today in St. Louis' Monica Adams has some tips to share for working out while you're stuck at home!
I have been in the fitness industry for just over 20 years. I went to Mizzou to study exercise science and athletic training. It was my dream to be an orthopedic surgeon.
I was 19 and told I had a massive blood clot and had to come back to St. Louis and be monitored for 2 years. In that time I turned even more to health and fitness. I have always been an athlete. Growing up I played soccer, softball and basketball and was involved in track and field events in the Future Super Stars. I watched my mom workout every day and listened to her stress the importance of nutrition so it is in my blood to want to always be healthy and to help others achieve their goals!
I became a personal trainer in 1999 after spending all my free time in gyms when I was in high school and college. I always had friends ask me to write up programs for them and teach them how to get in shape. I have several certifications and am always looking to soak up knowledge like a sponge. Our industry is ever changing and I always want to be at the top of my field with knowledge and assistance to my clients who want to reach their goals.
I have trained all ages and people of all levels. I have many high level clients such as athletes, models, actors, doctors, first responders, children, moms, dads, friends and I started training for a couple physicians years back training the senior population. The thousands of clients that have come in and out of my life have all helped mold me in to the trainer I am today. I am very big on injury prevention and reaching your goals. I love to instill knowledge in my clients so they truly understand what it takes to live a healthy life and not just do it for the moment.
In the last few weeks, a major curve ball has been thrown at all of us - forcing many to work from home, isolate themselves from the world and they are left wondering how they can stay on track. I want to offer some home tips to keep you moving each day.
- You have to make yourself a number one priority and schedule your workout just like you would schedule an appointment with someone
- You don’t have to spend an excess amount of money to workout. You can use your own body and do push-ups, calisthenics, core work with planks, bridges, squats, lunges, wall sits, jump squats, plyometric training and so much more.
- If you do want to purchase a few things I would suggest a fitness ball, resistance bands, a mat and a set of dumbbells to help advance your workout
- Realize the quicker you move between your sets the more calories you will burn; the more you will be able to add cardiovascular training with your resistance training. You don’t have to be on a treadmill, bike or elliptical to get in your cardio. Add some high intensity interval training to your sets or carve in some metabolic conditioning sets at the end.
- It’s important to stretch the muscles, roll them out, make sure you are not training with muscles that have not been warmed up or equally cooled down
- Hydrate, focus on your breathing and be in the moment
- Lastly, don’t attempt exercises you don’t know how to do without investing in a trainer, a friend, someone you trust in the industry that can show you what you need to do. You will get to your goals and keep from hurting yourself when you are doing these exercises properly
- Always consult with a physician if you are unsure of your current state of health or injuries to see if you need to modify or stay away from any exercises
- Enlist the help of a family member or friend to do exercise with you so you can motivate each other and keep one another accountable
- Lastly, realize your results will come but it doesn’t happen overnight and your nutrition is key so make the choice to do this for yourself once and for all and stay the course!
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