Having Walter as a trainer during the pandemic was key in maintaining sanity and fitness. Many of my friends who were gym goers faded out of the gym zooms because there was no personal touch. Walter is interested in every single one of us, holds us accountable and mentors us while getting to the bottom of strengths and weaknesses. He is there for all of us whether it is through his group app or personal email.
I am a Stated Department spouse and serving a three year assignment in Finland as of July 2020. Landing in an unfamiliar city with jet lag, kids to prep for school, two week quarantine, gyms/studios closed, and not knowing anyone would have been a mess of a situation. Walter kept me grounded and kept me going.
I was able to continue boot camp via zoom even with a 7 hour time difference. My three or sometimes four group sessions a week of toning, weights, and cardio- taken care of!
Walter was my constant. Felt like I was getting ahead in at least one area of my life- my well being- while everything else had to be figured out. Best part about Walter is that he is always available. If something isn’t working with food/exercise he is an email away.
What I love about these workouts is that its full body without collapsing and burning out on a machine or making excessive painful movements with large weights. A small corner of my living room, a mat, and my hand held weights. In fact, I picked up cross country ski recently and if I was not exercising with Walter I would not have been physically ready to start such an endeavor. Small movements, HUGE rewards!!
As a working mother of two young children, it always seemed like an insurmountable task to find time to exercise and make lifestyle changes, however, with the help of the Virtual Bootcamp and Coaching program during this pandemic, I was able to focus on my health and make the lifestyle changes that were needed.
I begin the Virtual Bootcamp and Coaching program in June 2020. In total, I have lost 37lbs and have dropped 4 dress sizes! In addition to the weight loss, I’ve also seen additional health benefits such as lower blood pressure and sugar levels. In fact, my successful results motivated my husband to join the Virtual Bootcamp and Coaching program as well!
The combination of the virtual bootcamps and various nutritional programs (10 day cleanse, Lean Body, Walking Challenges etc.,) have continued to help with my results. Throughout this journey, Walter’s coaching program has helped me navigate through challenges and provided guidance on how to continue to move forward to get to my goals.
This improved health and fitness journey has been the one silver lining during the COVID pandemic. I hope to continue to move forward on this weight loss and improved health journey!
Finding new ways to be healthy is a challenge we should all be taking, but it can be tricky to strike a good balance between your mental and physical health. However, taking care of your overall wellbeing is a good way to ensure you can stick with those changes and improve your quality of life. One crucial step in getting started is finding support, such as with a group of people who have similar goals, and Walter Lewis Fitness Solutions is a great place to begin, offering healthy eating challenges, a virtual boot camp, and even a virtual program for kids after school. You can also take a look at your surroundings to ensure they are beneficial to your wellness.
Clear the air
Your home is a place of comfort and rest, but it can also be detrimental to your health if you aren’t careful. The air quality inside a home can be lowered significantly by dust, pet dander, and allergens, three things that are commonly exacerbated by clutter. Not only that, but a messy living space can contribute to stress, anxiety, and tension between family members. If you’ve experienced these feelings, it might be time to give your home a thorough cleaning. Get rid of items that no longer serve you, organize each room, and open the windows to air things out on nice days, even in winter. You might be surprised at how much better it makes you feel.
Get involved
Clearing the negative energy from your home is important, but it’s also necessary to take a look at your activities outside the house and how they benefit your physical and mental wellbeing. Getting involved in a program specifically designed for your age group or abilities can help you stay on top of your health needs by introducing a beneficial social aspect, and the Silver Sneakers program is a great place to start. Offered through certain Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans, Silver Sneakers gives seniors access to churches, senior centers, and recreation centers all across the country for a variety of fitness and wellness programs. Do some research online to find out whether your Medicare plan offers Silver Sneakers.
Get away from the noise
No matter which programs or regimens you choose, it can be difficult to focus on a new healthy routine if you’re dealing with a lot of stress, family issues, or conflict at home. In fact, stress can interrupt healthy choices by causing us to overeat or turn to substances for relief. Sometimes it helps to get away for a bit and simply pay attention to your needs. A two-day fitness retreat, such as the one offered by Walter Lewis Fitness Solutions, can help you get the clarity you need by allowing you to take some time for yourself and learn activities such as kickboxing, yoga, and even meditation, which can help you beat anxiety or stress. You can even learn how to cook healthy meals and receive a relaxing massage while you’re there.
Educate yourself
If taking time away from everything just isn’t possible, you can still take steps to further your wellness goals by educating yourself about eating healthy and which types of movement work best for your needs, as this will help you maintain your new routine in the long run. Shopping at the local farmer’s market or health foods store is an easy place to start, but you can also learn to read food labels correctly and dive a little deeper into nutrition, especially as it pertains to your specific age and body type.
Finding a good balance between your physical and mental health is a goal worth working towards, and it can take some time, so try not to get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. By taking steps to turn healthy changes into a lifestyle and not a result, you can find success.
My name is Maria S. and I’m 55. I met Walter years ago when the gym where I’d been working out for some time offered a free 1-1 session with a trainer. I’d also heard great things about Walter’s group classes, attended and enjoyed one, and ended up signing my son up for several months.
Then the pandemic hit and the gym shut down… happily, Walter alerted me to his on-line boot camp, so we signed up. Walter’s “challenges” intrigued me, so I tried a couple, and, eventually, I signed up for one-on-one training. That was the game-changer. I was spending a ton of time working out, but not reaching my goals: weight loss, toning, and building muscle and strength.
Weight loss was a biggie–I’d gained so much over the last couple of years, despite hours spent exercising daily, that I was unable to fit in to a lot of my clothes. Walter provided me with a workout regimen based on my goals and size, helped me be accountable for what I was eating, tweaking my food choices as needed, eliminating some bad habits, and, I can definitely see a difference.
Admittedly, I was afraid to get on the scale for the first couple of weeks, so I’m not sure where I started. However, once I worked up the courage to get on the scale, I lost 18 pounds total (almost certainly more) over about a 2-month period. There is definitely much more definition and muscle in the problem areas on which we focused. And, the best part is, not only do I fit into my clothes again, but some of them are actually too big! Working with Walter helped me learn how to maximize my gym/exercise time and, equally important, recognize that you can’t outrun a bad diet. I feel so much better and have had folks tell me they can definitely see a difference. Thanks Walter! Here’s to continuing the journey!
I did not exercise for many years. I was very busy and gave priority to other things in life that were far more important to me. Because of this, I gained weight. I always thought that I would go back to fitness. However, I could never find the time for it.
This year due to COVID-19, I started working from home in March. Working from home has its plus points, however, the bad part was that it gave me 24-hour access to the refrigerator and food. I started eating more often than I did when I was in the office. By June 2020, I weighed 150 pounds. I had to do something. Many years ago, I had joined Walter Lewis’s in-person bootcamp at work and it helped keep me fit. So, I decided to join Walter’s Virtual Bootcamp.
My first virtual bootcamp class was on June 8th. Although Walter gave classes 5 days a week, I decided to work out 3 times a week. Also, I started walking for about 20 minutes 3 days a week. My goal was not only to lose 20 pounds but to create a routine for exercise and diet.
By mid-July, my weight loss was slow, at about seven pounds; because I did not give up on all junk food – potato chips, my go-to food! I started having salad and soups a few times a week and stopped eating rice daily. Instead had it only on weekends. I started walking for 40 minutes for 4 days a week. Since I wanted to create a routine, I did not have any food restrictions when celebrating birthdays etc.
On August 19th, Walter gave a free webinar on “How to Fit Exercise & Healthy Eating into your Busy Schedule”. He gave very good tips and I adjusted my exercise and food habits on some of them. I woke up early and walked for 3 miles, 5 days a week. I started using Fitbit to track my steps and set-up 10,000 steps as a daily goal.
Walter also mentioned that “You cannot out work a bad diet.” He stressed that we will not be able to reach our goals just by exercise, it was very important to change our diets. Only then would we reach our goals. I made additional changes to my food habits. Stopped eating unhealthy foods and instead had salads and soups.
Although my weight loss was slow, by November I had lost 20 pounds. I continue to be consistent (most of the time) with Walter’s Virtual Bootcamp. Now salads & soups are now part of my meals most days. I enjoy walking, weather permitting. It took great effort on my part, to get where I am. Lack of exercise and good eating habits made me gain weight. To avoid having to go through that situation once again, I have decided to commit to fitness exercise and to follow good healthy eating habits. I have signed up for Virtual Bootcamp through Dec. 2021!
