Keeping Fit During Isolation

We have to be positive and try and keep our spirits up in this time, but we can only do this by recognising that the past few weeks have been difficult and trying, to say the least. With everyone rushing back home, new government restrictions (for our safety of course) and public places closing, we no longer have the liberty to go move about as freely as we could a couple of weeks ago. The last few days have made me realize how much I miss the energy; the people and I may go as far as saying “the vibe” at the gym. Going to the gym and treating myself to a chocolate milk every once in a while, (okay okay, almost all the time) was a part of my daily routine.

I know how hard it can be to work out at home! With constantly having your name called, having to answer the door, or the fact that there simply isn’t enough space...working out becomes something you begin to put off and ignore. I’m here to tell you that as Nike famously put it “JUST DO IT”. Not only is it important to keep fit during these trying times but getting your daily workout will make you feel a lot more productive and make being stuck in self isolation a lot easier and I’ll tell you why. Getting your body moving whether it’s through a relaxing session of yoga or an intense and fast paced HIIT workout causes your body to release chemicals called endorphins. These are found to trigger a positive feeling in your body (which is pretty cool to be honest). This is particularly important as it’s easy to get irritated and worked up when our movements are so restricted.

You can use this as an opportunity to go outside (even if this is your back garden) or the park a few minutes away. Remember to take a mat, stay at least 2 meters apart from the others getting their daily dose of endorphins and wash your hands (with soap please) as soon as your back. For days, where it isn’t so warm, a smaller corner in the living room will do just fine. Now I know, the lack of equipment can be somewhat exasperating, but don’t let this dampen your spirits. I happened to find that cans, yes cans can make excellent weights. (baked beans or corn whatever you’re in the mood for, my personal favorite is condensed milk, please don’t get it confused with evaporated milk, that’s for beginners (eye roll)). Also, that textbook you borrowed from the library and forgot to return can act as a substitute for your regular standard dumbbell (I mean why use regular weights when you have textbooks).

Lastly, in case you’re wondering where you can find your workouts, the ‘Nike Training app’ allows you to browse from a wide collection that includes sessions from as little at 6 minutes to 45 minutes both with and without equipment. You can also create your own workout routine, write them down and switch them up every other day. I tend to do this as it keeps me motivated to work out and prevents me from getting bored by following the same routine daily. So, get ready to get moving. Get those squats in. Do those lunges (okay maybe more squats- I hate lunges) and try and keep those endorphin levels up.

When all this is over and can be put behind us, needless to say you’ll be able to find me at the gym with some weights or maybe a few bottles of chocolate milk (I can’t really tell the difference).