Fitness Friday: Quarantine survival advice from Cross Conditioning Training owner (Plus details of CCT’s 1-year anniversary celebration!)

Our amazing Smarty friend Jen Dufresne started her own cross training fitness studio in the midst of the pandemic – brave and inspiring fitness trainer and friend that she is! Now she is on the cusp of the one-year anniversary of when she opened the space Cross Conditioning Training on Providence Road in Cotswold. She will honor that milestone – and her loyal clientele, which includes me! – with a week-long celebration featuring giveaways each day (see below for details.) …..Meanwhile though, Jen is more than just a trainer; she’s a wife and mother of three. She has spent the past few weeks like so many of us have, dealing with quarantines and COVID exposures. With that in mind, here is Jen in her own words, sharing her advice on surviving quarantine and her mindset as she approaches the year anniversary of CCT. – Smarty Carroll Walton

As we close in on our official one year anniversary and celebrate making it through what seems like the longest January, we felt like it was important to acknowledge the importance of consistent movement.  If you are like me, you have been plagued with quarantines, possible COVID exposures and exhaustion from the holiday season packed full of kid activities.  While a New Year’s resolution or goal setting session may have felt like a good idea as we ended the year, mom life never goes as planned.  My preschooler hasn’t been in school since December 17th, so I’ve had to get creative with making workouts work with her that align with my own goals and our family’s schedule that are functional and progressive.

A few ideas to make things work:

– Walking/running with a purpose: It is so hard for me to convince my 4-year-old to go out in the stroller sometimes. When we have a purpose it is much easier.  Rather than preface it as a run with mommy, preface it as a run/walk to the park, take the time to let them play, then a run/walk home.  It is never about mommy but all about them.

– Virtual classes: At Cross Conditioning Training we currently offer virtual classes for MOST of our class times.  If you can’t make it live, you can request a recording of a class.  With minimal equipment, doing a workout where you have some accountability at whatever time works for you (even if you have to push pause) is so much more motivating than doing it on your own.

– Chores: I said it.  Dare I say my little one will help me do the laundry, dishes, and cleaning if I make it a game.  Sure, it takes time to focus on the task at hand but on my recovery days I spend the time I would be working out in the gym or on the road really engaging with my 4-year-old on our feet.

– Tell your spouse/friend/trainer that you are going to work out at a certain time.  I booked a class one morning at 5 a.m. on a day I knew I wouldn’t have time to do anything for myself the rest of the day.  I messaged my instructor.  I told my husband I was going.  Two people were going to know if I didn’t go.  I didn’t want to do it when my alarm went off, but I didn’t want to hear the end of it.

Movement releases endorphins and it makes us feel good.  You do it every day in some form or fashion.  For me, it makes me a better mom, friend, wife, business owner.  At CCT, we prioritize strength training as component to longevity in life.  Through low impact strength workouts and conditioning style higher intensity workouts, we are constantly working with people of all stages of life to help them move better.

Over the week of January 31st we will be celebrating our one year anniversary by giving away products from WOO skincare, Restore hyper wellness, Project Lean Nation, Charlotte Running Company, ONE Bars, and Y2 all week.  Join us in space any day that week to be eligible to win a giveaway on each respective day.  On Saturday February 5th we will have an all-day celebration beginning with a FREE run club at 7 a.m. and FREE class at 8:30 a.m., followed by in body scan by Project Lean Nation and 15 minute stretches from Restore from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.