Several studies have shown that many people have gained weight during the pandemic. One study showed that about 22% of the respondents gained weight during the period. Another showed that 27.5% became heavier. In the second study, 33.4% of respondents with obesity gained weight, putting them at greater risk.
The weight gain was attributed to the sedentary pace of life during the lockdowns. Some people lost their jobs; others began working from home. Even those who used to exercise outdoors or in gyms found themselves having to make do at home. For many, this led to a slowdown, if not a total stop, to exercising in general.
Anxiety and Its Side Effects
In a domino-like effect, lack of exercise led to anxiety, which, in turn, led to stress eating. The tendency was to compensate by pleasing one’s palate, and the most popular way to do that was by snacking on junk food.
Poor sleep, another side effect of anxiety, led to more anxiety in a vicious cycle. Lack of sleep has also been found to increase hunger and appetite for food with higher carbohydrate and fat content. Again, this led to weight gain.
The downward spiral of unhealthy habits and weight gain poses a health hazard. The combination weakens the immune system and increases vulnerability to Covid-19.
A Little Effort Is Not Enough
Some have recognized the importance of keeping healthy and made a few attempts at it. The problem is that they are not be knowledgeable enough to do the right things. They could exercise at home. But this may not be enough if they do not know what exercises are right for them. When cooking their own meals, they should use healthy ingredients.
Timing is also essential. Some people have energy-boosting supplements that disrupt their sleep cycle. There are supplements that are best taken at bedtime for a restful night. For weight loss, whey protein drinks must be taken not only at each meal and snack. It must also be taken within an hour after a workout for the muscles to use the protein for repair and growth.
It would be a pity to let all that effort go to waste.
An Entrepreneurial Opportunity
Wellness is an entrepreneurial opportunity that can be a win for would-be clients. There were gyms and wellness centers in many locations even before the pandemic. There were several even within a small area. This shows how important these businesses were to their clientele. Many people depended on their fitness trainers and nutrition counselors for guidance.
Many of these businesses have closed or now suffer from low foot traffic. People continue to fear contamination and stay away. It is timely to take a business online, especially now that people need to keep their immune system boosted.
There have been fitness trainers and nutrition counselors working online even before the pandemic. Do not let this hinder you from joining their ranks. Physical gyms and wellness centers proliferated. There is an even wider space online for such businesses. You do not have to confine the business to clients within a certain location.
Widening Your Reach and Outsourcing Services
It will widen your market reach to have a wide variety of packages at different price ranges. Take note that many may need and want the services but have to take pay cuts as they work from home. Serve this demographic and add to your clientele by having budget packages. You can save their sanity as well as their lives.
There is no dearth of experts to tap for the business. You can hire trainers, fitness coaches, and nutritionists who have lost their jobs. They can become your employees or business partners.
You also have to tap the services of professional IT staff to get you up and running online. Your website will be your most important asset, apart from your experts. You would want it to be inviting and easy to navigate. It must be energizing yet relaxing as well, like physical gyms and wellness centers.
Finally, you need to hire or outsource marketing services for the business. They will make you visible to your target market in as wide a network as you wish to cover. They will also ensure that this visibility leads to actual membership registrations.
During this pandemic, it is everyone’s business to keep themselves healthy. Make it your business, too.
