5 Pro Tips from Jillian Michaels to Thrive In Challenging Times
Here's how to build your inner strength.
*Affiliate disclosure.
When it comes to advice during this global pandemic, you want it from someone who is an expert at facing adversity and coming out on top. Jillian Michaels, one of the world’s leading fitness experts, knows first-hand what it takes to stand up and succeed after being knocked down.
Michaels opened up about how she landed (multiple times) in the boiling pot of public controversy. Rather than back away, Michaels faced it head-on and used her most challenging experiences to build inner muscle. She shares her pro tips on how to thrive during this challenging time. Heed her advice, and at the end of the pandemic, you may be all the better for it.
1. Build Strength
Is there a connection to building a strong body and not feeling like a victim? “Absolutely!” says Michaels. “Gaining strength and endurance can shift your mindset from victim to victor. When you feel strong, it positively affects every facet of your life. You’re more resilient and have the strength to tolerate everything that is going on emotionally and psychologically.”
Building strength doesn’t mean you go without pain, loss, or hardship. But it does help you manage the way you respond to it.
To help, Michaels’ fitness app allows you to customize workouts based on your fitness level and goals. It also includes tailored nutrition plans to fuel your body. Simply edit the filters in her app according to your goal and level to generate custom daily workouts that take all the guesswork out of getting fit.
2. Don’t Buy into Sympathy
Michaels warns not to fall for the “Quarantine 15” and other destructive messages of lethargy and sympathy. “Sympathy says you’re weak and not capable of doing more, so just give the bare minimum. It says you can eat this box of cookies because life is unfair,” explains Michaels.
“I get that life is unfair but no, you don’t get to eat frozen pizza every night, drink wine all day, and give up on your fitness regimen!” she says. “Don’t victimize yourself. Don’t be lured into destructive behavior that compounds the problem. Now is the time to parent yourself in the most loving and responsible way.”
3. Practice Common Sense Eating
Don’t go overboard on fancy health food. Forget the super expensive superfood smoothies, at least for today. Instead, Michaels advises to keep it simple and practice common sense conscious eating. This includes eating all three macronutrients – protein, fat, and carbs – in their most whole, natural, and organic states.
“Eat an apple, beans, and wild rice,” she suggests, reminding us that we don’t need much animal protein. And if we do eat meat, it’s important to make it as clean and organic as possible (you can read more about why she’s not a fan of the keto diet).
4. Beware of Dangerous Trends
“It’s not okay,” Michaels says, “to deny health facts to be politically correct.” Citing the Health At Every Size movement as an example, Michaels agrees that no one should be marginalized because of their weight. But to advocate that a seriously overweight body is healthy? Michaels says, “That’s dangerous. Yes, celebrate the person, love and accept your body, but let’s not go against scientific facts, biology, and biochemistry. After all, obesity is a contributing factor of death for people who contract COVID-19.”
5. Practice Being Brave
As fearless as Michaels seems today, she reminds us that she wasn’t born that way. After being the target of numerous national controversies (including a recent public clash with Lizzo over health concerns and body positivity), she’s learned to use fear for motivation instead of allowing it to paralyze her.
According to Michaels, the key to being brave is the crawl, walk, then run approach. “First, put yourself in the learning zone where you feel uncomfortable. Then get better at it until you master it and elevate to the next level.
“To think that one day you will become completely fearless sets you up for failure,” she says. “Instead focus on expanding your emotional fabric. Expose yourself to something daring, and gain confidence from surviving it.”
To learn more about Jillian Michael’s new fitness app, go here.
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