“I needed this.”
“Just glad to keep training.”
“Great news that we can still train.”
All things I have heard during the last 8 or so weeks during Sydney’s COVID enforced lockdown.
The last 18 months have been unlike any we have encountered before; and while a lot of things have changed considerably, one thing that has not changed is Live Well’s passion for helping people.
At Live Well our goal is to help people improve all aspects of their health and lifestyle by providing high quality coaching and top class service. This has not changed during the last 18 COVID affected months. If anything it has made our coaches realise just how much of a positive impact we can have on someone’s life. Whether that’s through exercise, nutritional guidance, or just providing an open ear for someone to talk to.
We recently asked our members how Live Well has helped them during lockdown so that we can continue to improve our service and strive to help people every day during the hard times and the easier times.
We had a range of responses come in and they generally followed three distinct themes or aspects of people’s lives; The Physical, The Mental and The Accountability.
The Physical
“Keeping us moving, smiling and generating happy vibes.”
“They say routine and working up a sweat is how you get through pandemic fatigue – keeping my sessions has helped a lot!”
“Keeping up with my regular sessions and booking in catch-up sessions has been invaluable.”
“Helped me get my mojo back. I feel I can focus more on my sessions and I’ve really enjoyed the outdoor PTs.”
We all know the benefits of exercise; weight loss, muscle gain, the release of endorphins, the list goes on and on. For Live Well members during lockdown being able to exercise is as much about being able to get out of the house and get moving as much as it is all those positive benefits. It is easy during lockdown to move and exercise less; with working from home, learning from home, and various restrictions placed on what people can and can’t do, before you know it your levels of exercise have dropped dramatically.
Having PT sessions booked in helps counteract this, when you have a session booked in with a trainer, whether it is outdoors or via Zoom, it gets you moving and provides you with a stimulus to do more exercise throughout the rest of the week. There is no better way to shake off some pandemic induced fatigue than to get up and moving!
The Mental
“Constant support.”
“Physical and mental support.”
“Weekly RUOK check in.”
This is a big one – the mental health battle that comes with lockdown and isolation. Every person at some stage will go through the peaks and troughs which come with mental health; and this becomes more evident during difficult times such as the times we as a state (and country) have been going through in the last 18 months.
For our members, having someone they can talk to is invaluable.
Our coaches are not psychologists and would never claim to be. However what we are is a sounding board and a set of ears, willing and able to listen to our members as they talk about anything and everything that is going on in their lives. For some people that simple act in and of itself can make a world of difference.
The Accountability
‘Weekly check in helps to keep me focused and in touch.’
“Keeping a regular schedule and keeping me accountable for my health and fitness. Also Chris Ward has been good at listening and keeping my anxiety levels down and sanity in check!”
“Keeping our SPT team accountable by tracking our food!!”
Similarly to a decrease in physical activity, lockdown can very quickly lead to a relaxing or drop off of healthy habits and lifestyle choices. It is not uncommon when things are tough for people to reach for comfort foods, it’s human nature, everyone has done it at some stage. Or maybe pre-lockdown you aimed for 10,000 steps a day and now that you are doing everything from home the only steps you take are around your house and by the time bedtime comes you have done 700 steps.
Healthy habits can be difficult to maintain currently, but that’s where our coaches come in!
We aim to keep our members accountable at all times. This can be a simple text message or phone call; often all it takes is a question or prompt for members to get back on track. Having someone check in and provide encouragement or a word of advice can give our members the nudge they need.
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“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do”
Life at the moment is a challenge for everyone. We are proud of all our members for how they are meeting the various challenges and hurdles head on every single day. We know they will come out of this on the other side, and if in the meantime we as Live Well coaches and as a community can continue to help our members in any way we can we will always strive to do so, for that is our mission and goal!
Last but not least I will leave you with this……
Thank you!
We as coaches aim to help you as part of our Live Well family, but what can never be underestimated is also how much you all help each of us as well. So on behalf of the whole Live Well team, I thank you for all your help and support, not just now, but always.
Coach Niall
