Updates on the Quarantine and how you can stay fit at home.
Because of the pandemic and the rapid increase in cases across the globe, governments have imposed a lockdown on public places, schools, social gatherings and virtually all non-essential businesses. U.K, U.S and Australian governments are prohibiting people from leaving the vicinity of their homes for any activity except getting essential items. Over the past week, the situation has progressed from mild social-distancing to strict self-quarantine in many places.
Prime Minister of UK, Boris Johnson, has enforced a lockdown similar to the one in Italy. People are not allowed to leave their homes except for special circumstances like:
Shopping for essentials.
One form of exercise a day, such as running or cycling, alone or with household members.
For medical or healthcare needs, for example to help a vulnerable person.
Travelling to and from work, but only if you cannot work from home.
Meetings or social gatherings of any nature are strictly prohibited. Authorities have warned forced shut down of all non-essential businesses in violation of the lockdown. Any one not abiding to the rules will be charged with heavy fines. It is believed the lockdown could last three weeks, after which the government will relax the restriction if there is evidence of the virus slowing down. However, there is no certainty that this will be the case, as the lockdown could go up to 2 months if the situation is not handled promptly.
Why staying fit is important
In light of the lockdown situation, it has become especially hard for fitness enthusiast to maintain their physical health, especially with high risk locations such as gyms and fitness studios being shut down. These routines are not something enthusiasts can easily give up on. For many it has become a strict part of their lives and a good workout is necessary to help boost the immune system so that it can put up a good fight. It improves the delivery of nutrients throughout the body, enhances core strength and improves blood supply. So make sure that while you’re still at home, you and your family are not compromising on exercise.
Alternative: Stay fit at home
With almost every place being on lockdown indefinitely, social distancing and being confined to your homes seems to be the wisest choice. With businesses also temporarily shifting to working from home, people are finding alternative routines to complement this change in lifestyle. In light of the current situation, the #StayInTrainIn movement is gaining momentum with fitness enthusiasts and health conscious individuals who want to maintain physical activity and stay in shape during this health crisis. Just because you’re cooped up at home doesn’t mean you have to give up on your health goals – and you don’t necessarily need a gym to stay fit. In fact, you’d be surprised how comparatively inexpensive and easy it is to devise a basic at-home workout program to address your fitness needs. So, get the ball rolling by following the guidelines given below to stay fit at home.
- Calculate your daily calorie intake and practice effective portion sizing, but don’t be too hard on yourself if you deviate from it every once in a while.
- Mark your workouts on a calendar so you treat them with the same level of seriousness as a gym workout.
- Try to follow a standard routine and incorporate some fun movements to keep yourself focused as well as motivated. If all of this is too overwhelming, maybe start from some simple exercises that address the predominant spine issues caused by sitting for long hours in front of televisions and computers. Start off with 20-30 reps of arm swings and side bends to get some movement back into your spine.
- On the whole, any complete and effective fitness plan will have these four basic components:
Cardiovascular workout
Strength-building exercises
Flexibility focused routines
Giving your body enough time to cool down.
- You can lookup fitness blogs, take online fitness classes or devise your own routine by incorporating different reps of the following basic movements into your workout:
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Get creative and try incorporating common household items into your routine, such as milk cartons for strength training or doing push-ups against furniture. Try yoga if your target is to develop both strength and stamina. However, if you are really serious about this, chances are you will have to setup a home gym to fulfill your fitness needs.
Why Setup a Home Gym
It’ll be challenging to develop a workout plan and to actually stick with the routine, especially when you are stuck in small quarters. It is important to setup a suitable environment and get in the right mindset, which is where home gyms come in. You’ll be in a familiar environment which will trigger senses and trick your mind into feeling motivated for workout. Moreover, you need a place for essential workout tools such as push-up bars, dumbbells, medicine balls, exercise bands, bodyweights, foam roller etc.
There’s tons of material online that you can use, including fitness apps, youtube videos and lately even free online classes by fitness studios that will help you get started and understand how to use each equipment to your maximum advantage. Stationary bicycles and treadmills are also gaining popularity among people leaning towards their own at-home gym setup. Cyclebar is allowing its customers who rent a bike free access to virtual rides and a bigger array of at-home workout tutorials.
If you think about it, a home gym has a great upside and could be worth the investment even after this whole pandemic has passed. You can invest in high-quality equipment tailored to your workout needs, and control your gym environment. So, get comfortable and put on a movie or blast your favorite music on the speakers as you workout. You also get greater privacy and can set up your exercise equipment as you want, with the confidence that no one will be messing with the settings on your weight machine or exercise bike’s seating position.
Where do we stand right now?
Social distancing due to COVID-19 might have created some unforeseeable problems, especially for fitness enthusiast but it’s time to come up with viable solutions. Staying fit requires a good balance of movement, nutrition and healthy lifestyle, which can still be achieved at home. All it requires is some determination and out-of-the-box thinking. The most we can do right now is maintain minimum outside activity, work remotely from homes, #StayInTrainIn and wait it out. And while you’re going about your day, think about others too, because after all we are all in this together, so let’s #FightTogether. We must keep our spirits strong, help others along the way and fight this as a community. So don’t hesitate to share how you’re fighting this, and your guide to staying fit through this pandemic with the community at large. Join us in this fight against COVID-19 by using #FightTogether and #StayInTrainIn when uploading your advice, photos, or videos on social media.
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