Peloton Instructor Tunde Oyeneyin Says We Need to Train More Than Our Bodies
There is a tremendous amount of loss and tension in our world right now, and it is taking a toll on our health. However, there’s also a ton of opportunity and inspiration at our fingertips. A place to find some inspiration is in a spin class taught by fitness and racial justice advocate Tunde Oyeneyin. She is using her platform on Peloton to get thousands of bodies and minds in shape. As a long-time fitness expert, Oyeneyin has witnessed firsthand the lack of diversity in industries including health & wellness and fitness. She’s fighting hard to change that. In her weekly “Speak Up” Peloton class, Oyeneyin pairs powerful quotes from black Peloton employees with a creative mix of songs that highlight both the successes and struggles for people of color. Her fitness philosophy is where we can all learn. “You have to take care of the inside with the same level of tenacity that you care of the outside,” she tells Nutritious Life. “It’s easier to focus on the outside because that’s the part everyone sees. But, when you can focus on the inside first, that part will radiate outward.” Oyeneyin takes the time to talk to Nutritious Life sharing what causes her stress, a simple way to find calm, and an at-home workout using everyday items to get you moving. How have things changed for you since COVID-19 hit? Things have changed drastically for me as I think they have for most of us. The biggest challenge has been trying to find a sense of normalcy in times that aren’t normal. I’ve allowed myself the freedom to move with my feelings versus trying to move through them. I’ve allowed myself to experience all of my emotions, and since then, I’ve been able to develop a routine that works for me. What are some of your tips to stay focused…especially now? I focus on planning out my day to the best of my ability and I try to stick to that plan. Now that we’re all working from home, it’s so easy to allow the day to get away from us; but being as regimented as possible seems to work for me. It’s only fair to mention that I don’t have kids, so I tip my hat to those who are doing double duty. Do you prefer to work out in the morning or evening? Morning. I like to get it done so it doesn’t feel like my workout is looming over me. I also find that I stick to a cleaner diet if I start my day with a sweat. How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? 5 to 6 times a week. That includes an active recovery day; for example, taking my dog on an extra-long walk or something like restorative yoga. I love the bike. I’ve been a fan of cycling long before I was an instructor. I also do strength and conditioning work, and I love bodyweight workouts that push me to the max. How do you motivate yourself (and your clients) to work out? I believe that your mind is your strongest muscle. It’s a phrase I say on repeat in my classes. We focus on training our body, and we focus on strengthening our legs and sculpting our arms. I think it’s important that we bring that same type of training to the way we think. During a workout, we’re often talking to ourselves. Even now as you read this article, you’re probably talking to yourself. I focus on reminding the rider and myself to silence and shut out the negative voices in our heads. Can you share a workout that we can try at home with little to no equipment? You can find an amazing arm circuit and follow right along with me here. I recommend light weights of 1 to 5 pounds. If you don’t have weights, wine bottles or water jugs will do the trick! If you had to name your healthy diet, what would you call it? Why? I would call my diet “sometimes.” Sometimes I eat healthy and sometimes I don’t; but, I always focus on eating foods that fuel me. Sometimes that fuel shows itself as energy, like eating healthy, and sometimes that fuel shows itself as me enjoying the day as it comes, like indulging in not so healthy meals. Has it been hard to stay on track with your nutrition while in quarantine? Yes, absolutely! I find myself at my refrigerator without remembering how I got there. I’ve had to account for the fact that I’m a bit more sedentary now than I was prior to COVID. I’ve focused on increasing my water intake to keep me hydrated and to keep me from over-snacking. What’s your go-to breakfast? Overnight oats or avocado toast. Your go-to workday lunch? A huge salad with grilled chicken. I throw in sweet potato fries on the side from time to time. What’s the one food you always have in your fridge? Eggs and hot sauce! What do you eat before and after a workout? Before a workout, I’ll usually have a protein bar and a banana. After that, I’ll usually have grilled chicken or shrimp with brown rice and a salad. Your favorite food indulgence? A burger, a milkshake, and a beer…all three in the same sitting! Just keeping it real. Other than water, what do you sip regularly? Kombucha and BCAA’s, short for branched-chain amino acids. What causes you stress? When it feels like everything is piling up at once, stress ensues. When it feels overwhelming, I focus on my breath and log into the Peloton Digital app. I allow myself 5 to 10 minutes to move through a guided meditation. I promise that’s not a plug, it’s just the truth! How do you pamper yourself when you need it? I pamper myself by lighting a candle and doing absolutely nothing. The older I get, the more I value peace and quiet. How do
How NFL Star Brendon Ayanbadejo Overcame Hurdles in Quarantine
When Brendon Ayanbadejo looks back at his life, one thing’s for sure: Fitness has always been a part of it. After a successful NFL football career, one that involved a legendary Super Bowl win with the Baltimore Ravens, Ayanbadejo took his talents right from the field to the studio. In 2014, he launched West Coast Fitness, a leading franchise of Orangetheory Fitness, the renowned high intensity (HIIT) group workout. Today, there are over 35 studios all over the world. While he inspires people through fitness every day, the three-time NFL Pro-Bowler is also incredibly involved in supporting marriage equality, using his star power to fight for others to have the freedoms they deserve. From linebacker to entrepreneur to LGBT rights advocate, the limitless Ayanbadejo proves that boundaries is a word best left in the dictionary. Ayanbadejo opens up to Nutritious Life about the calming effect of self-reflection and breaks down his fitness philosophy, including how to make your workouts easily fit into your daily life. How have things changed for you since COVID-19 hit? What has been your biggest challenge, and how have you worked to overcome it? Since COVID has hit, my regular routine isn’t happening. I still work out just as frequently, but I’m not running around coaching Orangetheory classes or going to my kids’ practices. So, being sedentary isn’t helping me burn as many calories—and that caused me to gain about 15 pounds. But I’ve re-focused and I’ve dialed it in. I’ve gotten a little stricter on my intermittent fasting, cut down on my caloric intake (a little bit), and I’ve started being a little more active. What causes you stress? What’s your go-to tool for managing stress? Everything can cause stress. It’s a very stressful environment out there right now. You have to worry about your health and your family. I live in a fire zone, there’s always bills to be paid, the market is going up and down, my business isn’t operating, so there are so many different things. I look at what I have and not what I don’t have to manage my stress. “What position are other people in?” “What are they facing?” I’m probably in the top 99.9 percentile of people in the world, so I calm down very easily when I think about my childhood and the way we grew up, and what we did not have—I just reflect a lot on my past and where other people are and what they could be going through, so it helps me to calm down very quickly. What are some of your tips to stay focused? Especially now. Well, it’s hard to stay focused because you don’t necessarily have a schedule. I like to plan out my week on Sunday. Of course, my schedule builds and populates as we go through the week, but I like to plan and schedule my workouts regardless of how I feel, how much motivation I have or don’t have that day. I stick to it and get it done. How do you express and spread love? I express love vocally, I try to be an example, whether it’s through the way I parent, which isn’t perfect, but I do the best that I can. I try to show people that I’m a present and loving father, but also a strict one. I just try to bring positive energy anywhere that I go. I want everyone to feel safe and comfortable. So, if I can open a door for someone, regardless of their gender, regardless of their age or ethnicity, I will help people out when I can. I’ve pulled over for strangers and helped them change tires. I’ve seen people get in accidents and I’ve pulled them out of wrecked cars. I try to be a type of person that treats strangers as if they are family. Just caring about your neighbor and doing your part so that in the event that your own family needed help, someone would hopefully pay it forward. And I won’t let bullying happen, either. What is your fitness philosophy? I would say that my fitness philosophy is functional movement, strength, and then cardio. My preference when it comes to cardio is more anaerobic cardio, so quick bursts, but I also love to run a 5k. Really, the stuff that you don’t want to do is probably the best stuff for you. Sometimes it’s not enough just to lift a weight up and down. You need to add some different planes of motion and some functionality to your fitness regimen so that it is actually applicable in real life. How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? Well, I think it’s wise to be active every day. Now in terms of exercise frequency, I believe intensity trumps frequency. I believe it is more important to work out more vigorously 3 times a week than it is to cruise through 5 or 6 workouts throughout the week. How do you motivate yourself (and your clients!) to work out? For me, motivation is fleeting. You’re not always going to have motivation, but how do you get work done even when you’re not motivated? We can work out as hard as we want, but when we go home and eat late-night, fatty meals, that’s not going to help. I like to motivate through education. I like to educate my clients while we’re training and then they can apply that education when they leave a session. If you had to name your healthy diet, what would you call it? Why? The best diet for me already has a name. It’s the Zone diet by Barry Sears. It’s a balanced diet. It is not overly protein-centric or overly fat-centric. In fact, the bulk of the food is complex carbohydrates, so there’s different ways to base it. Just imagine if 45-50% of your intake is carbohydrates, 30-35% is protein, and 15-20% is healthy fats. It’s a balanced diet built around carbohydrates. I’m not really
