Hello my fitness friends. I wanted to post something that hits close to home. I can’t workout for 2-6 weeks depending on what the doctors say. I was in a car accident last Friday and injured a rib and my cervical spine. I am doing very well considering my car is totaled and it could’ve been much worse. I am thankful! So, I am have been trying to find ways to not slip into bad habits and stay healthy during this time. It’s easy when stressed to grab that bag of Cheetos and veg out on bad food choices. Here are some tips from me.

1. It’s 70 % diet and 30% exercise. When we can’t work out, we can still choose food that is healthy for us. We may not lose as much weight (if that’s the goal), but we won’t gain. Stick to whole foods, healthy options, and vitamin enriched foods. Avoid processed foods, highly salted and sugar loaded foods.

2. Stay hydrated. If your body is injured, you need plenty of fluids to heal. Water helps flush toxins from the body.

3. Stretching, walking, or pool exercises. If your doctor clears you for some light exercise, then stretching, walking, and exercises in the pool are low impact on the joints (if you have not injured your lower body). Talk to your doctor about what you can and cannot do.

4. Rest. If you’re like me, rest can seem like punishment. Especially if you’re used to working out daily. However, as stated last post, rest is good for the body. It’s something our bodies need to function properly.

I will say that if I were in bad shape, I would probably be worse off physically from the car accident than I am. The muscles built around my core, spine, and upper body helped to protect me from worse injuries. Building muscle helps our bones. Eating healthy helps our bodies heal faster. So being fit has more benefits than we may realize. So, keep up the good work. I am cheering for you!!!