If you have stopped exercising and eating healthy during the coronavirus pandemic, you’re not alone.
Some people have used the extra time at home to get healthier, but data shows many have dropped a real fitness and nutrition routine.
Channel 2 anchor Justin Farmer spoke with a nutritional psychologist about what she is seeing in her clients’ behavior.
“What I’m passionate about is what gets in people’s way in their ability to execute,” Margaret Schwenke said. “So many of my clients are like, ’I feel like I know what to do, just can’t get myself to do it.’”
Schwenke said many people have been out of practice of going to gyms and their normal routines throughout the pandemic.
“We’ve had a really rough patch here with our health,” she said.
So how does one find the will-power to get back on track?
“It’s my job to reach inside of you to find the thing that you’re pulled to so strongly or pushed away from so vehemently and we can find that together and use it for the glue in our work together,” Schwenke said.
If you’re ready to get back to good habits, Schwenke says it’s important to find your why. Is it weight loss? Is it the mobility to play with kids or play better in a sport you love?
“We have to be able to see it, describe it, and feel it and organize our mind around it to let everything else to fall into place behind it,” she said. “It’s a mindset conversation and one around desire, will power. More of that instead of grams of carbohydrates.”
Schwenske adds that she is seeing a societal turnaround with people ready to focus on wellness again.
“I’m seeing the energy beginning to pick up now around taking care of ourselves, nutrition and being active and those kinds of things.”
There’s a whole field of study behind nutritional psychology. You can find some resources in the metro Atlanta area here.
Cox Media Group
