HJNO Mar/Apr 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS  I  MAR / APR 2022 57 certain facts about situations in our lives. Having rediscovered my focus and my intention, I had to reconcile my desire to work out for my general health and well-being (no need to be on the cover of Muscle and Fitness this month, right?) with the understanding that COVID-19 demands rest and recovery. I did a little research to see when I might resume my workouts and quickly discovered what I had already sus- pected: every case is unique, and there is no hard and fast protocol. One suggestion that appeared in several articles was simply to “listen to my body.” That resonated with me. In fact, years ago, during my time with the Chicago Bears, one of my strength coaches, Clyde Emrich, told me, “Take what the body gives you.” In this case, it was COVID-19, and it forced me to take it slow. I was relatively sure that I didn’t want to domuch while I was displaying symptoms. My first two days with COVID-19 were, for me, days of rest, liquids, and more rest. My head was pounding, and it actually hurt to open my eyes, so I relaxed on my sofa or in my bed as much as possible. Upon waking on day three, I felt com- pletely normal. I felt my resolve to work out come back quickly but wanted to pro- ceed with caution. I was quarantining, so the gymwas out of the question, but I could work out at home. I decided to start slowly, listening to my body as I progressed. I did some stretching and a few very light core exercises. Thank goodness I didn’t push myself, as my experience was what I would describe as “intermittent exhaustion.” For the next few days, I alternated be- tween feeling completely normal levels of energy to feeling likemy systemwas flood- ed with adenosine (the sleep hormone that is thoroughly explained in Matthew Walk- er’s, PhD, book, Why We Sleep ). I found I had to crash for short periods throughout the day and night and resigned myself to stretching (off my feet) for about five days. Eventually, my energy levels returned, and I could increase the intensity and fre- quency of my workouts. I will admit that coming back has been a slow process. And, it made me consider other times that I have taken a break from working out, whether due to illness, injury, or lack of motivation. But each and every time, including this bout with COVID, all that really mattered was being intentional about starting back up and listening to my body as I went. I once heard a coach say, “It’s too late to go back and make a new start, but it’s never too late to start a new ending.”Very wise words indeed. I hope you can avoid the particular challenges of COVID-19 to your health journey, but I wish you the best on your endeavors. n Jerry Fontenot’s journey to health and fitness stems from his vast experience in training for and playing 16 seasons in the NFL. Since his playing days, he coached ten seasons with the Green Bay Packers, accumulating a wealth of knowledge on the latest trends and science of maximizing production on the field. After leaving Green Bay, Fontenot’s personal search has continued, driven by an insatiable appetite for the latest andmost effective information, techniques and research for optimal health. FIND YOUR MOTIVATION Whatever your motive to get into shape, establish it, own it! This is the fuel that fills the tank for a lifelong journey. Having a clear picture helps to eliminate any dis- tractions. Write your motive in a journal or on Post-it notes around the house or in your car. It doesn’t matter if you are driven by physical, mental, or emotional change (or a combination of all three), don’t judge yourself. Accept that you intend to create a version of yourself that you want to live with for the rest of your life. SET ATTAINABLE GOALS Many of us set unrealistic goals that are completely out of our reach or would take so long to accomplish that we lose interest in getting there. For instance, if you want to compete in a race, you may want to start with a 5K fun run instead of attempt- ing to qualify for the Boston Marathon. If your goal is to fit into those jeans that you held onto from high school, but that was 45 pounds ago, focus on losing six pounds over the next three weeks. Reaching small- er goals can help us build confidence and motivation to move through the certain trials that lay ahead. PREPARE FOR CHALLENGES No one promised us that life was going to be easy; if they did, they lied. And, to be honest, some of the greatest rewards come from learning to overcome adversity or at least not running away from it. Sometimes in order to face challenges, we must accept Jerry Fontenot Special Correspondent