Today is Wednesday, March 18, and COVID-19 has led to the shutdown and lockdown of major cities and public businesses. People across the world are encouraged to stay in their homes and away from crowds. My office is remote for the rest of the week and will likely stay that way until the end of next week. Schools are closing nationwide. Restaurants are serving at half-capacity with a strong preference for delivery and pickup. I went for a quick grocery trip today and the store was clear of paper products, rice, and frozen waffles. Also someone took all the good vegan food, which I think was pretty rude.
That said, one of the biggest patterns we’re seeing is that fitness centers are either at limited hours or completely closed. My gym, for example, is shut down for the rest of the month. I’m getting over being sick, so I haven’t worked out at all since Sunday. That said, I’m ready to get back in the game.
Keeping with the spirit of Women’s History Month, I follow a few fitness/healthy lifestyle influencers that are (or at least, appear to be, I’ve never met them) fun, optimistic, and yes, very much in shape. I’ve seen a few of them release a few “at-home” workouts to keep the spirits (and gains) high. Lack of access to the gym shouldn’t get in the way of your goals!
Here’s a few of my favorite workout women (and a link to a workout that will whoop some butt)!
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- Whitney Simmons. This cutie patootie has been at the top of my list for a WHILE. She has been open about every aspect of her fitness journey, from her life as a high school athlete turned cut from the college team. When I first found her videos she had recently quit her job to pursue Youtube and fitness full-time. She’s since partnered with Gymshark, one of the leading athletic wear companies in the Western hemisphere, including a limited edition line that sold out in minutes, and kickstarted 2020 with the launch of her own fitness app. She is super optimistic and a great role model! She’s also VERY good at makeup, I wish I could do my eyebrows as well as she does.
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- Nikki Blacketter. I first discovered Nikki in my Pinterest account. I thought she looked like the actress who plays Jordan on “Scrubs,” (Christa Miller), and I thought “Wow, how old is this photo?! She’s pretty in “Scrubs” but WOW! Isn’t she in her fifties?! She looks incredible!!” It wasn’t her, but it was Nikki! I fell down a rabbit hole of her videos, and not only is she super fit, but she once competed in weight lifting competitions! She’s also partnered with Gymshark (and considers Whitney a best friend), and is a pretty avid gamer. She also has a fluffy white cat named Max. He seems like a good boy.
- Keltie O’Conner. Oh, Canada! Keltie has played every sport from here to Ontario, and has taken on every fitness challenge out there on Youtube. She wound up on trending after sharing a video of a crazy transformation following Tom Brady’s crazy intense diet (Tom Brady, the football player… married to model turned advocate, Gisele Bundchen. FORESHADOWING). She is a Golden lab in human form, and even when talking about serious topics like mental health, she always has a smile. She ends all her videos with “Go pet a dog!” She spoke recently about feeling crazy anxiety when she first started out on Youtube. Now she’s modeled in Nike ads. A glow up if ever there was one.
- Alexis Ren. They used to call Gisele Bundchen “The Body.” Gisele will forever be the queen, but I would argue that if Gisele is the body of the early 2000s, then Alexis Ren is the body of the mid 2010s. She gained popularity on Tumblr and Instagram, and her popularity exploded when her then-boyfriend Jay Alvarrez shared videos of their desirable travel diaries across the world. Think skydiving, backflips off of cliffs, and yes, blue-ass water. Alexis has since gone on to compete in “Dancing with the Stars,” along with landing the cover of “Maxim” and “Rookie of the Year” award from “Sport’s Illustrated.” She spends most of her time (when not working) traveling and advocating for green environmental causes. Beautiful soul to match the bod!
As an added bonus: Allie Michelle, one of the Woman Crush Wednesday of last week’s entry, is offering free classes on meditation and breath-work for the masses trapped at home! Mind and spirit counts just as much as the physical body!
People are concerned about going stir-crazy and getting flabby on the lockdown snacks (it’s me. I’m people. I baked massive cookies last night). These ladies are keeping calm and carrying on, and so should we all!