Let’s Talk About The Quarantine 15
So, I guess the “Quarantine 15” is a thing now?
If you haven’t heard of it, it’s like the “Freshman 15,” but for all of us quarantined at home. At first I mostly saw jokes and memes about it, but I’m starting to see it pop up more and more.
It kinda makes sense. I mean, who knew being at home would make me so obsessed with snacks?! Factor in the gyms being closed and the “gloom and doom” vibe hanging over all of us, it’s not surprising AT ALL that some of our good habits have gone out the window.
But…should we really be worried about gaining weight?
I mean, we’re bored. We’re a little anxious. We’re straight up BUMMED every single time we catch a glimpse of the news. Comfort is KEY right now. Soooo we’re snacking and we’re treating ourselves to pizza. We’re baking with our families!
This quarantine isn’t a joke or a meme. It’s real life trauma, and we’re just…dealing.
Don’t be hard on yourself
If you can’t bear another day in sweatpants but your jeans feel snug when you try to put them on, don’t sweat it. Go put on leggings instead. They’ll never betray you.
Ok, but for real. No worries.
First of all, psychologists say a little weight gain during a pandemic or any global crisis is NORMAL. That means you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re not “off the wagon,” and you’re not going to have to start all over when life picks back up.
Even if you’re doing everything exactly the same as before, there’s a good chance that stress is a factor. And right now, you don’t have a ton of control over that stress.
I’m alwayyyyys saying that your fitness journey and your lifestyle is all about the long term. This quarantine is temporary and it’s not normal life for any of us. If your jeans are tight because you’ve enjoyed a few extra cookies with your family, or because you’re getting some rest for the first time in who knows how long, that’s ok! Actually, it’s probably needed. It probably feels good, right?!
Trust me. I feel off too! But I’m not body shaming myself because it’s NEVER productive. So just don’t. You’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming soon! Give yourself a break.
Exercise is amazing self-care during quarantine
Sometimes being at home seriously makes me crazzaayy. But getting a good sweat always makes me feel better! If you’re feeling uptight, anxious, or just bored to tears, move that body!
Do you have to do intense HIIT workouts and run marathons? NOPE. Do you even have to pick up a weight? NOPE.Even stretching releases stress and those hormones that make you feel goooooood. Just do something you love.
Turn up the tunes and dance!
Run around outside with your kids!
Go for a walk!
Just move and breathe.
And if you don’t feel like working out… you don’t have to!
Self-care is soooo important, especially right now. And sometimes self-care means REST.
There’s a lot of pressure to workout now that we all have extra time on our hands. But that pressure might feel like too much right now. Maybe you really needed this time to slow down. Maybe it feels better to be productive in other ways, like working around the house. Maybe you’re already working from home, while homeschooling your kids AND trying to manage your home. Whew.
If you need a break, take it. Plain and simple. You’ll know when you’re ready to jump back in!
Try not to worry about the Quarantine 15. Instead, use how you FEEL as motivation.
Think about what you need! Eat healthy foods to take care of your body, but also enjoy some comfort food with your family. Exercise if it energizes you and makes you feel good, but rest when you need it.
And don’t forget I’m here to help! If you’re craving routine and some good workouts, jump into the April Workout Calendar! If you want to try some healthy and delicious (and suuuuuuper easy) recipes, here are a few that are totally drool-worthy.
We’re gonna get through this together!
41 thoughts on “Let’s Talk About The Quarantine 15”
There are 41 comments posted by our users.
I’ll admit that I was a bit worried about what you were going to say but I definitely agree with what your wrote. I am glad that you took this approach. I was worried that as a fitness influencer you would say use this time to exercise but you recognize that this is a pandemic and we should focus on surviving and feeling okay, while including healthy eating and moving when it feels good.
Hola Cassey, desde que empecé tu calendario (Abril) tengo motivación todos los días, la cuarentena se hace mucho más llevadera, GRACIAS!
I really had to search up Freshman 15 because i literally thought it meant that people gain 15 kilograms and I was thinking that can’t be right.
Anyway, thank you so much for this article. I admit I felt so guilty indulging in fast food that I would sometimes cry. But reading your blog post really made me think back and realize that yes I may be eating pizzas sometimes but at least I also go crazy on the workouts! 🙂
Thanks Cassey! I really needed to read this! I have had a little bit of relaxing time during lockdown but feel like I need to do everything I have always wanted more time to do and it’s exhausting. I need to find a way to enjoy the extra time by slowing down! x
I love this! Thank you Cassey for being a voice of reason in my life for a while now.
Thank you so much for this post, Cassey. I’ve followed you for so many years now—through my teen years, college workout kicks, and post-graduation weight gain. You’ve remained an inspirational light through it all, and this post means more to me than any of the ones that came before. I’ve struggled so much to get myself to move during this quarantine, and I feel terrible about it. But you’re right—we’re all doing the best we can in this completely abnormal situation. I love your heart. Thank you for the encouragement, always.
Thank you, I needed to read that. I’ve been struggling with body image since the beginning of the quarantine, even though I had finally made my peace with it these past few years. But reading this made me feel better, thank you <3
i totally needed to hear this right now!!! thank you for always spreading positivity cassey <3
Thank you so much for this post 🖤 this was exactly what I needed to read right now ☺️
While I appreciate this isn’t shaming people for eating during this world crisis, I’d also like to point out that being able to snack and eat too much food during this time is a very privileged thing. So many people are struggling with poverty and hunger in the United States, and the world, during this time and it is important for influencers to check their privilege and help their fan base to also understand the privilege they have.
Hey Cassey, I’ve been following your workout calendar for about 3 weeks now. I am loving the results! Thank you soooo much for being with me!
Hi! For me #first time mom with baby it was not possible to follow the calendar bc 1. Too hard for me and 2. Never had so much time on hand on a daily bases. I wish there was a program for moms like me. Something gentle with the knees, with variations begginer-advance,20 minutes max and 4 days a week
BeachBody on Demand Barre Blend is 30 minutes 5x a week, but you can roll over that extra day for the next week. It’s only 8 weeks and it costs $39 for 3 whole months.
Hey Alina maybe you could have a look at Cassey’s beginner calendar.
Hi Alina, you could also look at Kayla Itsines’ BBG program — she has a program designed specifically for moms post-pregnancy who are beginners. It’s $20/month but you can get the first week free! The workouts are usually 28 minutes long (but they’re rounds so you can make it 7 – 28 minutes depending on time), 3 days a week.
The key to surviving this quarantine is to just take care of yourself. Indulge a little. try to be productive and if you can’t, don’t pressure yourself. Your mental health is as important as your physical health. even more so right now. Great post!
Cassie you are the best! 😀
Also it is funny that this was posted the same day as the revenge workout!!!! lol
It seems wrong to take a break sometimes. Go, go, go. Do more, don’t quit, push yourself, stay focused. And yet, listen to your body when it says “Let me rest. Give me a break. I do everything for you, just love me for what I already am doing.” It is a necessity to be kind to yourself and allow recovery and love. Feed your body well, and move. Take in the spring sunshine and enjoy nature. Keep it balanced.
I just moved to a new state right before the holidays and I just joined a gym literally the week everything shut down. So your workout calendar has been such a lifesaver. It gives me a semblance of a routine, helps stave off the blues, and gets me motivated to be productive everyday. I don’t know how long this all is going to go on, but I’m going to be stronger on the other side of this. Thank you for that.
this definitely gives us all permission to feel a little more at ease with our bodies right now. Thank you for this message!
Last week I was moving around so much on Saturday that on Sunday I did not even want to do the Sunday ab workout from the calendar. All I wanted to do was lying in bed and watching movies… But after all I got up and made myself go through the ab workout and I did not really enjoy it. Maybe I should have listened to my body and take a break instead of forcing the workout. From now on I’ll listen to my body and take a break whenever my body tells me to do so! Skipping a day or two won’t ruin a routine/lifestyle.
Thank you. I’m enjoying your workouts!
Thank you! What you said is just happened to me. I felt guilty from what i ate and gain weight since last March. Also that made me think to isolate from social. Then i felt so loneliness that i decided to eat a lot. This is the worst circle I’ve ever experienced.
💓💓
Thank you Cassie!!! This is an amazing blog for what is happening right now. Sweats is what I wear right now, no jeans or leggings because they are all just so tight right now and I just want to be able to breathe and feel relaxed. BTW, I am a nurse and I work 12 hours shifts and my days off are typically for comfort foods and just lounging all day in my pj’s or sweats. Also, to binge watch my fav kdramas. Hopefully soon I can join in and do one of your amazing work outs. I used to do pop pilates but right now I just don’t have that motivation , since I’m always tired from work.
Kath whoever you are wherever u are just remember we are all in this together we got u and I just wanna say thank you for all the services u do as a nurse it’s immeasurable and priceless so thank you.
You’re awesome!
Blogilates has helped create a huge change in my life since quarantine. I’m actually working out because of it and I feel the strength of my body growing during this time. I’m excited to carry it on when life goes back to “normal.”
Hi Casey! You such an inspiration to me, I love your positive vibe and energetic spirit. Your workouts motivate me to challenge myself each time I do them. I love that you motivate your audience as we workout. That’s the biggest thing for me as you motivate us to push through and stay strong until the end , that’s the the time I encourage myself to complete the workout! 💖💖
And sometimes self care is eating too many Cadbury creme eggs leftover from Easter! whoops! But they were so good! Thank you Cassey 🙂 I needed to hear this today! I feel ready to take on tomorrow! Xx
Hi. So I’ve been so worried about losing weight cuz I gained a lottt. Like 12 pounds 😭😭. And I was still working out as much or little as I used to and eating healthy as much or as little as I used to. I’d say nothing has changed to my diet or physical activity. So I started thinking of ways to lose weight again and started following these plans and stuff and it didn’t work but when I read this I felt so much better so thank you❤
Stress is differently a huge factor for me right now between going to work. I am a support worker up in canada. Plus managing my kids online learning for my kids when I have my days off. I do enjoy doing your April calendar it is my stress relieve after a long day at work.
By the way, Cassey, I hope you’ll still be making us workouts when we’re all geriatric old biddies, lol
DEFINITELY
Stress is absolutely a HUGE factor. And not sleeping great. Thankfully there are people like Cassey in the world. I’d be a hundred times more miserable if not for the blogilates workouts.
Ditto! I’ve been doing the monthly calendar for the first time and it HUGELY improves my mood. I skipped it one day because I was tired and slept in, and I massively regretted it
I looooooove this post! Thank you Cassey. I think so many influencers and companies are using the “quarantine 15” to make money off of stressed out people. It is so refreshing that you are taking the opposite approach! ♥️
Thank you so much for saying what needed to be said.
This is a global pandemic and adding self-body shaming on top of the stress that we experience during this crisis just makes matters worse.
Personally, I was finally able to destress a bit and sleep enough, and even follow your calendar! Before that I was doing a lot of overtime. I’m not saying that the pandemic is good but it helped me realize that I must stop doing so much overtime and stressing myself at work.
By the way, I am LOVING the april calendar. The fact that pretty much all of it is appartment friendly isn’t just great for my neighbors but also my hormones. I have a female reproductive disorder called PCOS and stress (high intensity training counts as stress for the body too) will just make symptoms worse so these days’ exercises hit the spot just right.
Also, I love the new lockdown workout series. The moves are fun and creative but make my muscles BURN so good!
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That sick face emoji was an accident and i already pressed “submit”
Those flowers and the sick face and the apology made me laugh so hard my stomach hurts.. thank you for the laugh Amrei!
Thanks Cassey 🙂