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Venezuelan by birth and Spanish by adoption, Carola Prato is one of the best personal trainers in the country . Senior managers, journalists, politicians and former First Division soccer players, among others, are part of a full client agenda that completes with group classes at the Metropolitan Eurobuilding, one of the most exclusive gyms in Madrid.
"I spend the day running from one side of the city to the other. My usual day begins before 7 am. Many of my students can only train before going to work and I usually stay with them in small centers, like Assari, their houses, in the park or in their offices, "he says.
The age range of their wards ranges from 15 to 80 years. "I train adolescents, men, women, the elderly, and people with cancer."
For someone like her, this brutal change that has meant for all of us the confinement to which the coronavirus has condemned us has meant a profound rethinking of life . "When classes were suspended in schools, this could be seen coming. The gyms were closed and practically all my students began to cancel the sessions at their homes."
After the declaration of a state of emergency, Prato, like many of his fellow professionals, had no choice but to reinvent himself. "I am not too much in favor of online training because I am one of those who think that my work requires direct physical contact. Beyond the exchange of energy, attendance is essential to monitor the technique and observe the body messages that the students send. However, in this scenario I have no choice but to adapt and continue my work through, for example, the live shows I broadcast through my Instagram account (@caroprato) every day at 6:00 pm ".
Confined in our homes without a glimpse of the release date, Prato insists on the vital need to move to cope with the drink without finishing the confinement, rusty and with five extra kilos, but warns that not everything goes. "Everything is very strange. Suddenly, everyone starts recommending workouts through YouTube or Instagram. There are live shows with routines almost every hour and people who have never exercised in their lives start doing hiits (interval training high intensity), to cite an example, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. I know that my students can follow my classes without problem but in my broadcasts among many more audiences and that is why I try to adapt them to all audiences. I do simple exercises , without music to explain them well and slowly to mark the technique. We must be cautious to avoid injuring people . "
Before starting any physical activity program, the first commandment should be to consult a professional who "designs a plan tailored to the needs, age, physical condition, goals of each " and, in this scenario of absolute exceptionality, this coach emphasizes the importance "of choosing very well with whom you train and what you do".
"I think what really overwhelms many people is the possibility of gaining weight and in my opinion they are very wrong. They continue to think aesthetically when health is now more important than ever, " he says.
Prato calls on the population to "keep moving because at home you can do a lot of things to stay in shape, without material and with hardly any space but sensibly ."
Dancing, playing with the children until cleaning (although this makes us more lazy) adds up to physical activity. Furthermore, Prato recalls that "all these tasks are much more valuable than we think because they are the ones that activate our NEAT, (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), which is the caloric expenditure that our body produces when moving to do daily tasks (walking , doing housework, fixing the garden, etc.) ".
Working endurance, strength, mobility and flexibility should, without starting to jump like we were in a fitness contest, should be our biggest challenges during these 'x' days that we have to be without leaving home. "Strides, planks, bottoms, and stretches will help us keep our bodies active, our muscles toned, and our joints well oiled."
Prato also recalls the importance of "eating in a balanced and healthy way (without falling into the trap of the miracle diet to avoid not gaining weight), working, keeping in touch with ours and resting."
And he stresses the importance of pampering the elderly . "I really miss the physical contact with my longest-running pupils. It is vital for them to stay active and I am looking forward to this happening to embrace them."
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