Stephenville fitness trainer talks quarantine, staying active and his new health food store

Jason and Courtney Holland.

By SARA VANDEN BERGE

Jason and Courtney Holland became the new owners of Health Focus in the Bosque River Center on March 9, just when the fear of coronavirus began spreading across the U.S.

Since then, Jason, a 33-year-old trainer at Anytime Fitness, said the store has been servicing hundreds of Erath County residents looking to boost their immune systems during the pandemic.

“The store has been hit hard with people coming in to purchase vitamin c, zinc and elderberry products,” Jason said Thursday. “We also have Rockin Wellness, which a lot of people are using right now as well.”

Jason has been a fitness trainer for seven years. He discovered his passion for helping others reach their fitness goals while he was studying kinesiology at Tarleton State University.

“I did an internship at Anytime Fitness and that’s when I developed my passion,” he said. “I enjoyed helping others reach their goals.”

Courtney teaches math at Tarleton State University and the couple has two young children.

Jason said they have big plans for their new venture.

“We plan to revamp the entire store,” he said. “We are getting in a lot more sports-related products. We want to make this a health food store that promotes physical activity.”

As families across the country are being asked to spend more time indoors, I asked Jason for a few tips on ways to stay active and healthy during this time of uncertainty.

Here’s what he had to say.

Health Focus is located in the Bosque River Center.

1. Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water is one of the best ways to keep your body strong and healthy. How much water you should drink depends on your weight. Jason said you should drink ½ of your body weight in ounces. So a person who weighs 150 pounds should drink 75 ounces of water per day.

2. Don’t sit for more than an hour. “Get up and move even if it’s just to walk around the house,” he said.

3. When watching TV, exercise during commercial breaks. It’s a great time to do sit ups, squats and pushups.

4. If you have to go to the grocery store, park in the back of the parking lot. The move will allow you to get in a few extra steps, and it will leave closer spots open for the elderly.

5. Take breaks from the news to reduce anxiety and go for a walk instead.

6. Focus on the things you can control like sanitizing your home and other measures to keep your family safe.

7. Follow your favorite trainer or gym on social media to watch videos and home workout tips. Just about everything is online these days so there is no excuse not to get in those workouts.