So how is your lockdown going? In my household the confinement is with Jules - my wife, our two boys, Coco - a very energetic Cocker Spaniel, a grumpy old cat called Mollie and a hamster, Ewok, who in fairness does not take up much space and anyway she is currently on loan to some friends who don’t have any pets. In order to avoid a version of The Shining we will need to keep ourselves entertained and active. Like many I think I would really suffer both mentally and physically without a decent fix of exercise.
Everyone’s circumstances are different depending on work commitments, parenting and schooling needs. If you are normally a commuter then it might seem like there is more spare time in theory but in practice fitting in some exercise might not actually seem be that easy. Or even that appealing. If you are going to do some exercise it should actually have some benefit to you. Having a family boot camp with the kids may sound like a great idea but to be honest most of us have got different needs so it’s important to be somewhat selfish about what it is you need for your own mental and physical health as well as allowing other family members to get their appropriate fix.
Thankfully as it stands today in The UK we can get outside and the weather is good. Making the most of this is essential. I’m assuming that any day the restrictions may get tighter and so am making the most of each walk, run or bike ride just in case it’s the last for a while.
Even if we are totally grounded however we can definitely maintain our strength and cardiovascular fitness. Many of us could use this time to significantly improve our mobility and flexibility. For those that have gardens there are huge possibilities and for those that don’t - I empathise enormously - but there are still a lot of options for you.
For anyone who is not active or who is overweight now is a good times to address these issues. We are hearing a lot that the virus has a nastier outcome for those with underlying health issues and I listened to one expert explaining that, just as with other illnesses, the fitter you are and the stronger your immune system is the better your chances are of getting a mild dose if you do become infected. It’s a stressful time but, along with getting some daily exercise in, do try and be mindful about healthy eating and not increasing your alcohol consumption in line with the rate of new COVID 19 cases.
So what can you do?
Strength training has been described as a push, pull and something for your legs. There are many ways you can train your body and numerous on-line tools out there to assist you in terms of what exercises you could do and excellent videos of how you should do them. Much of this content is free so even if your financial situation is rather uncertain it’s affordable and nearly all of the exercises have lots of different variations that can challenge you irrespective of your current skill and strength.
Here are a few ideas of strength exercises:-
For your lower body.
Squats
Split squats
Single leg dead lifts
Lunges
Wall sits
For your upper body
Press ups
Rowing (with resistance bands)
Tricep dips
Bicep curls
Overhead press
For your core
Dead bugs
Side planks
Bird dogs
Bear crawls
For your cardiovascular fitness
Sprints
Skipping
Bounding
Hops and Jumps
Lunges
As always knowing where to start can be difficult so I’m very happy to help. Simply message me and I’ll offer some guidance of what to do, what to buy and some tips on how to make the most of your time training. I’ll also post a few videos on this site that might give you some inspiration if you tire of Joe Wicks.
These are complex times where where our resolve will all be challenged to varying degrees. It may be tough to even find the motivation to exercise but as you may be likely to move less in a lockdown it’s important to keep the joints hinging, muscles working and to get out of breath a few times a week or your body will start to shut down.
So ... get cracking! Put some time in your schedule and don’t leave it until last thing at night when you are likely to be smashed. Make a smart choice and grab a minimum of 20 minutes for yourself earlier in the day. It's called #selfcare!
Stay safe but choose to be fit and strong whilst you are doing it.
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