COVID Helped Me Evolve

By Farida Sanusi

As we slowly return to normalcy, it’s a great time to stop and reflect. During the intensity of COVID-19 to the present day, I’ve had the opportunity to really focus on my wellbeing – especially my mental health by incorporating the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

1. Connect: Appointed as part of the Ikoyi Club Technical Swim Committee, I’ve been helping coordinate the safe return of our children’s swim squad and inter-school’s primary & secondary swim galas.

2. Be Active: Adding more strength training, and eliminating certain foods and drinks from my diet, which has helped me to reset my mind, soul and body.

3. Be Curious: Researching body-positive fitness brands to fit every personality with the prospect of launching my own fitness active loungewear.

4. Keep Learning: Successfully qualifying as both Barre and Strong by Zumba instructor providing classes additional to spinning.

5. Give: Involved in charity work handing out food donations to the less privilege.
This continues to be my journey to a better me.

——————————————————————————————————————-
By Ngozi Ojora

Without reference to the green-hued type of wealth, but the wealth of the mind, body and soul, I wholeheartedly attest to the obsolete term, “Health is Wealth.” The type of wealth that is sincerely and healthily fulfilling, the type of wealth that brings genuine joy and contentment to you and your loved ones, but without any strings attached.

With the dawning of Covid in 2020, my perspective on life altered, including my perspective on Health and Fitness (H and F). It had always been a means to many ends for me, but with the uncertainty and angst of Covid, H and F became a means to survival. Survival, not in the “live and end all” sense of the word, but survival to battle the anxiety brought on by this newcomer. However, in the initial stages, my general routine was somewhat staid, because I spent a ridiculous amount of time transfixed to the media selection of Covid reporting.

It actually became physically and mentally unhealthy, and I knew I had to bite the bait to overcome this fear. Yes…I stopped watching, listening and hearing more than was necessary…my attempt at Covid-illiteracy. I used the unplanned vacant hours to do a few more online courses, in Nutrition, Advanced Human Biomechanics and Digital Marketing.

Due to the fast-paced and transcontinental lives we lead, spending quality time with our children was a luxury; we did fitness challenges and routines, created new recipes and engaged in personal discussions. We fought too, obviously, but always healthily.

Plus, I was able to be more reflective in my own exercise sessions because I had more unplanned hours. This was until I discovered the world of Online Personal Training!!

Health is all-encompassing of mind, body and soul, so simply using various vehicles to feed each helped me cope with the darker days of Covid.