5 Top tips on training and staying healthy during quarantine?
It’s crazy right now in the world we live in. I’ve never seen it like this but I think it’s worse in many parts of the world where they don’t have access to free healthcare etc. And it will pass. Whereas in places like Tanzania where my parents used to live things like malaria, HIV, typhoid, hunger aren’t going away any time soon. I say this as I think we should be grateful if you live in a developed country where you can get access to healthcare etc.
Anyways I’m not an expert in this area but I can help you with exercising at home. Before ‘Rona’ (coronavirus) I was already training folks in the park and at home so I already had to experiment a bit with training.
If you haven’t done any previous exercise it’s really easy to progress as you’ll be going from nothing to something so your body will respond well with literally whatever you do. However, if you’ve already been training at a gym for a while it can be a bit harder to get a training effect BUT it still can be done.
It’s especially harder when it comes to legs as they need more weight to make things harder than the upper body as we spend most of our time on our legs.
Also, the lack of equipment can hinder training at home so you have to be a bit more inventive but you absolutely can still train hard with bodyweight. So my first tip?
TIP 1 - Experiment and play
There are many different ways you can change the different human movements which are push, pull, squat, hip hinge, lunge and carry (locomotion). If you’ve just been doing barbell back squats or machine chest press at the gym I suggest now you try to see this as a time to experiment with other versions at home. You just have to be innovative (check the vid below) and play about a bit more. Or If you search on google or youtube I guarantee someone has come up with a way to do your favourite exercise differently at home.
TIP 2 - Try to get sunlight in the morning and get 7-9 hours sleep
Sleep as you probably know, affects EVERYTHING in our body. If you have a garden get out there and take in some sunlight in the morning. If you don’t but you’re allowed to walk once a day (UK rules) then try to do it in the morning. And you don’t have a garden or can’t leave the house open the window and let light in. WHY? It helps set your circadian rhythm which will help your sleep and it generally helps most people with their mood and right now we all need mood-boosting things in our life as much as possible. Prioritising sleep now is really important as it will help keep your immune system healthy which is another thing we could all do with.
Tip 3 - Work on that ‘thing’ you’re not so good at or learn a new exercise
We’ve all got something that we’re not so good at. Real talk most people aren’t that good at push-ups. I’m doing 50 push-ups every day and I’m trying to do it in as few sets as possible. Maybe you want to get good at skipping? NOW is the time to do it. The great thing about the internet is you can search almost anything on youtube or google. Maybe you want to do handstands or cossack squats. Find something that takes your fancy, do some research and get to work.
Tip 4- Quit looking at COVID-19 news and watch some comedy
Find out the things you need to do for you and your family to stay safe and do them and aim only to watch ONE update a day about coronavirus. Watching more news about it isn’t going to really improve you or your family’s position.
99% of the news about ‘Rona’ is super negative. It doesn’t really improve your mental health to be constantly looking at negative news. I’m not an anxious person but I feel anxious constantly looking at news about coronavirus. Control what YOU can and keep positive. And on that note, I recommend watching stuff that makes you laugh a lot. I like ‘This Country’ but you can watch anything that makes you laugh. It’s proven to make you feel good and improve your health.
Tip 5 - Try to find a new accountability and be conscious of your environment
This is something I’ve struggled with personally. Having been a gym-goer for years as soon as I get there I’m ready to go but working out at home is a lot harder as I don’t associate it with training. I know a lot of people will struggle with this as they’re used to going to a class or having a trainer or ‘bro/sis’ at the gym that gives them that accountability.
You’re going to have to find something to make you take action. I’ve been setting myself daily goals like doing 7000 steps or 50 push-ups a day or 100 kettlebell swings. It’s good as it’s not too much BUT if you add it up at the end of the week it’s really effective. 50 x 7 = 350 push-ups a week. That’s awesome. But you’ll have to invent one for yourself and your training level. You could do a workout virtually with a friend or your kids or you could even hire a virtual trainer. I’m coaching all my clients this way at the moment.
Lastly, be aware of your environment which now is home most of the time. Try to be aware of eating out of boredom or stress. If you have foods that make you overeat them (cake for me!) put them out of reach or don’t keep them in the house.
Remember real hunger is felt in the belly and if you’re not sure if you’re hungry wait 30mins and then see. If your stomach is still hungry you should eat something. Finally, it goes without saying, eat your damn fruit and veggies and try to write down things you’re grateful for if you feel down.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this and that you and your peeps are safe and healthy.
Ed