Lockdown Fitness

How are you tackling your fitness during lockdown?

Maybe you’re not.  If this is all too much for you right now to think about training or you’re still going out to work everyday and can’t focus time on it that’s perfectly ok, there’s no need to feeling guilty about that.

But if you’re at home, have time and have the desire to keep moving for physical or mental health reasons (or both) what are you doing?

I said at the start of lockdown that for me moving was more about my mental health and routine than getting fitter or stronger.  The fact is I don’t have the equipment I would normally have access to, so cannot rain in my preferred way.  That meant I took the view that training would be something to make me feel good and that was it.  I’d train as and when I wanted and how I felt like at the time.

Last week I started to change that mindset a little, only a little – I’m still limited in what I can do but I also felt ready to get a little focus.  I think the issue was that to start with just moving felt ok, but overtime the lack of a goal meant motivating myself to do anything was getting harder.  The lack of accountability to a structure wasn’t helping either.

So I got a plan.  The plan still focuses on what I can do- run, at home cardio in a small space, online classes and some weights with the two sets of dumbbells I have, but it gives me accountability to a lockdown goal (keep moving and keep positive) and a structure to my training.

I’ve also focused on the specifics within my plan that are going to benefit me most.  Not training first thing in the morning was affecting how my day felt it was going and also my attitude towards my diet.  Making the first thing I do each day some form of training has improved how I feel in general, how productive I feel and made me want to visit the fridge less often.

I guess what I’m saying is I needed a plan not just for my fitness itself but because fitness is normally so much part of my routine that the lack of plan was affecting my overall day.  Putting that plan in place has improved my overall feeling of well being.

Equally, I know for some people the idea of a set plan would be restrictive and in itself may negatively affect them.  Some people are loving trying different things, others are trying to recreate what they normally do.

We all enjoy different types of training and react differently to certain types of structure in our training.  The key is working out what’s best for you, there’s no right or wrong.  When you have identified this you can plan accordingly, either yourself or with a PT who can help you find a way of training that works for you, this can be particularly useful if you’re starting to train in a new type of way as expert guidance at the start can help you train sensibly and effectively making it more likely that you enjoy your training.

However you approach training right now this is a great time to start thinking about what does and doesn’t work for you, what you’re missing and not missing, what you’d like to do when gyms reopen.  It’s like having a blank canvas to start again after lockdown which is kind of exciting when you think about it!