Good morning. How’s your heart today? Your head? Just when I think I’ve absorbed what life is right now, things change again or I read something that sends me back down the rabbit hole. I think I am going to have to start setting a boundary of only reading the news once a day to get up to speed and then leaving it alone. I think it’s smart to be informed but not necessary to spend all day consuming news, you know?
Yesterday, the county announced a mandate that all gyms and fitness studios close for a minimum of four weeks. While I understand the reasoning behind the decision, it’s a tough one to take in. When I don’t teach, I don’t get paid. Same goes for my fellow Charlotte fitness instructors and countless others across the country. And many of the studios that we work for are already operating under extremely tight margins so we’re hoping we have jobs to go back to on the other side of this.
Studios and instructors are all scrambling to pivot. The studios that I work for are offering daily live stream classes. Personally, I am in the process of setting up live stream and private YouTube videos with HIIT, strength and yoga classes. I plan to share details on how you can sweat and flow with me no later than tomorrow. The ironic thing about this is that I already had a huge project in the works around sharing workouts and yoga with you online but of course that isn’t set to launch until early to mid summer. I can’t wait to tell you all about it very soon!
I loved this post from a studio that I work for, VIBE5 Yoga and Fitness.
I am working hard every day to see the positives in these current times, even with so many uncertainties.
On the home front…
Finn hit 22 months yesterday! He’s now officially two months away from two.
He’s a busy little bee but so sweet, affectionate and easygoing.
Here’s Finn playing car while I cleaned the inside of my car from top to bottom. He got in the drivers side and straight up waved to me and said “bye bye.” Not sure where he was planning to go but it was so funny.
I took the dogs to get groomed at The Dog Salon earlier this week. If we’re all going to be stuck inside together for the unforeseeable future, I needed them to be fresh and clean. 🙂 I am also trying to support local small businesses as much as I can. It was an easy drop off and pick up with minimal contact.
MY GIRL! <3 Update on Benji + Zoey: they are now inseparable and spend much of the day playing or just laying together.
Update on Benji: all of you who told me his true colors would show after about two weeks were spot on. He’s a huge goofball, super playful and definitely gets the puppy crazies sometimes. He’s also sweet as can be, eager to please and extremely good-natured. I lucked out with this one. The photo above was taken last night at 11p. I was like, “buddy…not time to play ball.”
I am off to teach my first livestream class for Charlotte Yoga. As I work to plan classes for you guys, I’d love to hear if you’d rather have lives stream or pre-recorded watch on demand classes. Also open to your preferences on class formats and times!
Have a good day.
QUESTIONS
Have you set boundaries on news consumption?
Are you working out at home? On your own or online or livestream classes? What equipment do you have for at-home workouts?
Glad to see that Benji is adjusting well!! I prefer on demand classes to Live.As long as they are posted to the instagram account later though, Live is fine.
I take HIIT small group classes at my local Y and our amazing trainer has offered to meet with us at a local park so we can still work out from a distance. He is not getting paid. What would you prioritize as a gift for doing this for us? What do you need the most right now? Also, just got approved to foster for a local rescue. If I’m going to be working from home and hanging on the couch, now I’ll have a second cuddle buddy to do it with.
I bet she has venmo! That is what one of my local yoga teachers is doing!
Thank you for sharing Jen. I live in Boston so quite far from your classes and have always wanted to take one of your yoga classes!!! Would love to either livestream or have pre-recorded yoga videos from you 🙂
I’d love to help you out and pay for classes. I feel your pain. I’m a writer and all my clients are trade shows … and as a single mom I can’t afford to lose my job! But I think we all have to help each other out now, and you have helped me SO MUCH through the years with your example and recipes and workouts. We want to keep you up and running!!
The developments related to COVID definitely hit me like waves these days – I steady myself in my feet and the next one rolls in. Nevertheless, I’m doing my best to stay calm, be kind, feel gratitude for my family’s health, and enjoy the small things. One of the things that is saddest for me is the impact of all the disruption on small businesses because this impacts families and communities. I hope that you launch online fitness content with a fee structure. You need to be paid for your work! My favourite online classes are body-weight and yoga workouts that I can do quietly without waking my son. I do my workouts before he wakes or after he goes to sleep. I would also love some mom and kid classes that would be less serious and more to get my kid involved in being active with me.
I exclusively work out at home anyways, so I’m just thrilled I have more options now! Pre-recorded works better for me as I am home with my kids and trying to work so I never know when I’ll get a break. HIIT is my favorite.
I appreciate that you set boundaries, which I have done also. The onslaught of negative media coverage has me exhausted, so I’m just not doing it. I’m trying to find positives. I also have 2 pups, a 120 lb Great Pyrenees and a 135 lb Newfoundland puppy and they are very much enjoying laying at my feet while I work and having me home. I’m enjoying it too as much as I can.
I really feel for trainers, waiters, service workers…all the folks that are being negatively effected by the times right now. Hang in there and stay strong. It’s a scary time but things will get better.
I’m doing home workouts and going for a run now and then. I have been training for the 545 mile AIDS Lifecycle, but it was announced Tuesday that it’s been cancelled and I just can’t bring myself to get on my bike right now, so I’m doing other things.
Take care Jen. Finn’s adorableness is exactly what the world needs right now <3
I’m limiting my news to once a day. It’s hard, but I noticed my anxiety spiking the more news I consumed. I’d love to take a restorative/gentle yoga class. As another commenter posted, I’d pay for the class! I feel terrible about folks not working on top of all this stress. Side note-i purchased wheat thins today. I was inspired by your earlier post and forgot how good they are. So, thank you.
Hi Jen,
Is anyone allowed to join your online live yoga classes?
I’m sure a lot of your readers would like to attend a class, especially the ones who don’t live locally (Me!). Let us know if/how we can sign up.
Thanks!
I’ve always wanted to take one of your classes! Would be happy to pay and would love either- pre-recorded is easiest but live would be especially fun, but only if it was during toddler naptime, like 1:30… or early morning! xo
Pre-recorded classes would amazing! I already love doing your yoga videos on youtube so it would be great to have more options.
I’d love to take one of your yoga classes! Pre-recorded would work best as I’m based in Europe. If you could post workouts to do in a flat where you can’t jump around much (old house and creaky wood floors), it’d be great!
Yay, virtual classes! Excited to be able to “take” a class with you and support you during this time when I’ve enjoyed your blog for so many years. On-demand would work best for me – I was already a full time teleworker before this all began and I’m trying to keep up some semblance of a “normal” schedule, ha.
As corny as it sounds, I am trying to appreciate what I can that remains the same. Pollen is still just as gross :P, my dog is still just as happy, the comforter is just as snuggly as I wake up in bed, and a hot cup of coffee still starts my morning off right. Right now, this is all a mental game for me and restricting news consumption will need to be part of it.
Stay well <3
I’d love to take one of your virtual yoga classes! My vote is for morning classes, 9 or 10ish. Maybe offer a shorter 30 minute class for those of us with kids at home.
i’ve been wanting to get back into yoga for some time now but always find excuses. i’m a hard core runner and that’s all i want to do lol. but now with a little xtra time on my hands, i feel like this is the perfect time to get my mat out. i googled yoga for runners and got so overwhelmed. would love a pre-recorded 20-30 min yoga video to stretch all the muscled runners need to stretch.
Hi Jen, I am the co-founder of a company called Needed, a nutrition/wellness company focused on nourishing women before, during, and after pregnancy. We are turning all of our focus right now away from our own product sales and towards supporting our community, including our network of health and wellness practitioners, fitness instructors, etc. We would LOVE for you to lead a prenatal or regular flow class on our IGTV in the next 2 weeks. We are paying for instructor time to help our partners get by. Please reach out if you are interested!
https://thisisneeded.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nourishmentisneeded/
If you were able to make some vinyasas and HIIT type workouts I would for sure be interested and you might even be able to pull in more money as you have a audience across the US and maybe further! I dont prefer “live” unless they are able to be viewed later.
I also limit myself to once a day. I was getting way to anxious and worked up. When there is a press conference I might listen in but otherwise I try to limit news in the morning.
I work out at home since having a baby and frequently turn to your workouts. Would love to support you!
I’m ready to take a class and PAY YOU.
The best piece of advice I have seen through all of this is from my boss’s friend who lives in China and dealt with everything prior to it being our new reality in the US. I have implemented the news diet this week and it’s definitely helping me!!! I’m not watching the news for an hour morning, lunch, and night. It’s more like a few minutes each time I check the news. Knowing I have a set time to come back and check in later is allowing me to avoid being consumed by following the news. Wanted to offer this suggestion too. My fear is if I tried to only catch the news once per day I might actually get sucked in more and things currently seem to be changing by the hour. And everyone should absolutely do what works for them. Just wanted to share as this has been extremely helpful to me. <3
News:
There will be frequent updates and policy changes in the coming days, often every few hours. Make a news diet and only check it like meals; 3x/day, morning, noon and night. OK, you can have a snack (an additional news check in) if you need to. Go to official news sources (CDC, WHO, your school/employer website. Verify everything from your preferred news organizations with other health/government agencies. Don't take screenshots at face value. Try "muting" or "snoozing" acquaintances you know on social media who are likely to post without verifying information. Block those who are trying to profit from the pandemic.
Poodles are the best. We adopted a Maltipoo rescue in May. She’s two and the most lovable dog we’ve ever had. You can just see the love in her eyes when she looks at you. So glad Zoey and Benji are becoming the best of friends. Thinking of you in this scary time!