Written By Allysia Britton
For the past several months, people around the world have been trapped at home, without access to hot commodities like restaurants, salons, shops and most importantly, gyms. This has caused me and many other i'm sure, to gain a few pounds. The Daily Fern recently caught up with professional athlete and author Krista Stryker, to get some tips for staying active during this strange time.
The Daily Fern: Anyone who follows you on social media knows you're a bit of a fitness Guru. What advice do you have for anyone looking to stay active during quarantine?
Krista Stryker: There's so much you can do at home, even if your normal gym or workout classes continue to be shut down due to quarantine. I've been training using my own bodyweight and a few select pieces of equipment like jump ropes, pull-up bars, and medicine balls for nearly a decade now, and my workouts don't look much different than they did before the pandemic. There really is so much you can do using your own bodyweight, even if you want to get stronger or build muscle (just look at gymnasts for proof).
Bodyweight exercises like bodyweight squats, push-ups, burpees, and planks should be staples in everyone's workouts, whether you're working out at home or at the gym. And if you want to add an extra challenge, try adding a plyometric element to the exercise (so regular squats become squat jumps) or slowing down the exercise to work through sticking points.
The Daily Fern: Along with being an award-winning athlete, you are also the author of "The 12-Minute Athlete", for those who don't know about your book, can you briefly summarize it for us?
Krista Stryker: This is my first book and I'm so excited to finally share it with the world. In it, I tell my own story about how I went from not being able to do a single push-up to feats of strength I thought only superheroes could do, like pull-ups and handstands. I share everything I've learned so far in my own fitness journey, including my best tips on how you can get fitter, faster, and stronger using HIIT and your own bodyweight, no matter where you're starting from. The book includes a breakdown of all of my favorite bodyweight exercises, an 8-week workout plan, as well as some of my favorite, easy-to-make recipes.
The Daily Fern: What inspired you to write this?
Krista Stryker: This book contains everything I would have wanted to know when I was just getting started in fitness, from how to get started with bodyweight and HIIT exercises, to advice on how to stay motivated, why it's never too late to get started in fitness, and more. My hope is that it inspires people to discover a love of lifelong movement, no matter where they're starting from.
The Daily Fern: For many, working out is a chore, how do you stay motivated through it all? Do you have any tips for getting into a healthy daily routine?
Krista Stryker: The reason some people keep going day after day isn't because they're blessed with more motivation than the average person — they've just learned to have multiple reasons to keep them going even when they're not feeling very motivated in the moment.
For example, if your goal is to stop your yo-yo workout habit and become someone who actually makes daily movement a priority, your only motivation can't be to lose 10 pounds or to look better in a swimsuit (in fact, appearance reasons are often the worst motivators).
Some other motivations might be:
To develop a strong mind, increase resilience, and learn to lean into challenges
To keep having fun and *playing*, whatever that means to you
To keep your immune system healthy and strong
To feel physically strong and powerful
To maintain a positive outlook on life and keep your mood up
To keep up with your kids/nieces/grandkids etc.
To have more energy throughout the day and maintain vitality as you get older
Make a list, then think about what they all have in common. Motivations are the most effective when they're connected to a larger, long-term purpose (i.e., to stay healthy and be able to continue to do all the things you love to do for a really long time). Having multiple motivations means that when one or more fails to motivate you (and it will), the others will keep you going.
The Daily Fern: Do you currently have any other projects in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it?
Krista Stryker: In addition to my book, I also have an app called 12-Minute Athlete available for both iOS and Android. We just released a new 30-day program called HIIT At Home, which includes four weeks of bodyweight workouts you can do at home or at an outdoor park. We'll be adding more programs and workouts soon!
Want to learn more about Krista? Connect with her on social media !