"The Biggest Loser" will unveil a winner during its emotional season finale airing Tuesday night, but Bob Harper’s work isn’t done yet.
The celebrity trainer, who is practicing social distancing like the rest of us during the coronavirus pandemic, is determined to encourage viewers to stay positive in the best way he knows how. The 54-year-old wants viewers to take on regular exercise to help support healthy immune function and boost one’s mood during troubling times.
While most of us may be tempted to just curl up on the couch (and that’s totally OK, too), Harper insisted now is the perfect time to try that new workout routine you’ve been eyeing to change up your routine and stay active. The author is even willing to try ballet on social media to gain some laughs, as well as demonstrate to his 357,000 followers the benefits of taking control of one’s help from the comfort of home.
TCM HOST ALICIA MALONE REVEALS 6 COMFORTING OLD HOLLYWOOD FILMS TO WATCH DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Harper spoke with Fox News about staying healthy during quarantine and what audiences can expect from "The Biggest Loser," as well as what his life is really like after suffering a near-fatal heart in 2017:
Fox News: Many people are so worried about the current pandemic that they’re not eating as healthy as we should. How can we stay healthy during quarantine?
Bob Harper: I really feel like it's important for us all to have a routine. And it's so easy to eat poorly right now because if you might be stressed and you start to reach for those foods that you know you probably shouldn't.
I would tell you to make sure that you try to keep those out of your house first and foremost. But when it's time to eat, sit at a table, actually have a meal. And I feel like if you do that type of routine, it could start to make you on track to living a healthier life while we're all in quarantine.
‘CONTAINMENT’ DIRECTOR REFLECTS ON CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: IT’S ‘SURREAL’
Fox News: Many people have also lost their motivation to work out. How important is it to keep moving at home during these tough times?
Harper: I think that exercise is going to be really crucial right now. It's going to really fit very nicely with eating wisely because if you find a workout that you can do in your house or your apartment, it's going to make you feel better.
Those endorphins are a real thing. And I think right now with all these fitness people and in social media that are putting so many great workouts out for free for us all to do in our houses, it's like this is the time to try something new. If you've never done a certain workout that you've always wanted to try, why not try it right now in the privacy of your own home?
Fox News: Are there any workout routines you recommend?
Harper: Whatever it is you want to do, I recommend it. I've actually thought, you know what? I've never done a ballet class. I wonder if there's a ballet class that I can try to do at my house, which I think could be really funny. I might video it and let people see me trying to do a ballet class. But the point is, this is the time to explore into your fitness that you've never ever done before. And I couldn't encourage it more because it's just going to make you feel better.
SUZANNE SOMERS HOSTS VIRTUAL COCKTAIL PARTIES DURING CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK: 'I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT'
ERIN BROCKOVICH RECALLS MEETING JULIA ROBERTS FOR THE FIRST TIME: ‘THAT JUST BROKE THE ICE’
Fox News: What are some of your favorite ways to stay positive, especially during this time?
Harper: I think the main thing to stay positive is to really live in the moment and not think too far into the future. I find that that really helps me because if I start to think about how long is this going to go on and what about tomorrow, that makes my brain crazy. So I focus on the here and the now. I have a Peloton bike that I get on every day and I do my yoga, I do my meditation. I really try to stay active as much as I possibly can here in my apartment.
Fox News: In the past, you have been very candid about your heart attack despite your healthy lifestyle. How are you feeling these days?
Harper: I’m feeling really good. I'm taking care of myself. I'm really taking this quarantine very seriously. My health is so important and you know, I tell people the exact same thing, practice your social distancing. This is a real thing. If we all get in this together, we're going to be able to really flatten that curve. And I think that's what we're all trying to do.
Fox News: What advice would you give to someone who is worried about being at risk despite having that healthy lifestyle?
Harper: I had a genetic issue that gave me a widow-maker and I think that what I can tell people, from what I've learned, is you need to know your health from the inside out. You need to go to your doctor, you need to do full blood work. You need to see what genetic issues you might be dealing with that you aren't aware of.
Fox News: How has hosting "The Biggest Loser" impacted your life for the better?
Harper: I got to tell you, hosting "Biggest Loser" on USA has been such a dream of mine. I get to really work with all the contestants. We did these support groups every single week that I was the head of and I loved it. I loved being able to just offer a little help and inspiration in a completely different way. Not in the gym, like I was so used to for so many seasons.
Fox News: What can audiences expect from the season finale of "The Biggest Loser"?
Harper: I'm so fortunate that I've been able to work on this show, "The Biggest Loser," for every single season it's ever been when it was on NBC and now that it's on USA. I'm very proud of this show and I think that when people watch our finale, they're going to be so inspired. Especially now, I feel like we all need a little hope and a little inspiration and I think that people are going to be able to tune into the finale and get that.
I think that what you're going to get is a much-needed distraction and you're going to see our contestants have such transformations, and not just the physical transformations. They're going to be transformed mentally, emotionally, and I think the people, the audience, are really going to pick up on that. And I think that it's just going to make you feel good. I think we're all going to just feel good after this finale.
SUSAN LUCCI RECALLS HER ‘WIDOW-MAKER’ HEART ATTACK SCARE: ‘I PROBABLY WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN UP’
The season finale of "The Biggest Loser" airs March 31 at 9 p.m. ET on USA Network.