Pandemic, lockdowns, quarantine, gyms closing, and working from home: it’s been the perfect storm! So how can you stay active at home to fight COVID-19?
We know how important it is to keep moving. Even before COVID, our sedentary lifestyle was a huge problem in the UK leading to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and some kinds of cancer.
Then came COVID. It meant we worked from home more, travelled less and gyms were closed (*sniff*). But it was Summer, so it didn’t seem quite so bad. Long walks along country lanes, the sun glinting through the leaves…we were ok, right?
Then we had the triple whammy. Lockdown V 3.0, working from home and dark, dreary winter, which meant people’s motivation plummeted faster than a lemming off the Anglesey coast.
We’ve got to keep moving though!
The NHS have advised that staying physically active during COVID-19 is really important for our physical and mental health (NHS). They say it improves your mood, wellbeing, and energy levels by reducing stress, anxiety and depression. And we agree.
So, how can you keep your motivation levels up and stay fighting fit?
Our 6 tips to stay fit and fight COVID
1. Don’t spook yourself out
Look, it’s best not to set ‘London marathon’ as your training goal if you haven’t moved much for the last 6 months. The more unrealistic the goal, the less likely you are to achieve it. So, start with one walk a day, then move to 10,000 steps a day and maybe build to running 3k or picking up the weights 3 times a week. Your body will love you for moving and adapt to the increasing challenge. One step at a time though.
2. Be NEAT
NEAT stands for ‘non-exercise activity thermogenesis’ (THE NEAT SECRET TO FAT LOSS.) Put simply, it means the body is burning calories with just the smallest of movements. Things like putting the washing out, walking up and down stairs, dancing with your kids, even fidgeting in your chair. The more you move – no matter how small – the more energy you’ll burn. So, listen to your Fitbit when it suggests you move, it knows what it’s talking about.
3. Hit the pavement
Getting outside to exercise is cheap, easy and fun. Our top tip: get dressed into your fitness gear and go for a walk. Then see if you can jog to the lamp post, or skip, lunge, anything! Then try a bit further the next day. Give yourself small challenges each day. Want a bigger goal? Try a Couch To 5k; to keep you focused and accountable.
4. Get creative around the house
We’ve all seen how the cost of gym equipment has sky-rocketed since lockdown but that doesn’t let you off the hook. Your body weight is all you need for exercises such as press-ups, lunges and squats, and how about grabbing a few items from around the house to help out.
You can:
Add weight to a rucksack for a weighted walk or run
Use a chair or arm of a sofa for tricep dips
Grab a broom for some shoulder mobility
Tap the door frame during burpees
Grab your big-boned cat and squat low (below the knee people)
5. Don’t beat yourself up
OK, you’ve haven’t moved for a week. Maybe two. And on the weekend you drank a bit too much and had that curry. But tomorrow you can change that. Keep a positive mindset and remember that as soon as you start, the rest is forgotten.
6. Find a gym that motivates you
We believe there’s a gym out there to suit everyone. If you’re at a gym that doesn’t inspire you, it’s time to move. Here at NUYU we’re really proud of the community we’ve built. We think it’s one of the main reasons we retain our members longer than other gyms and why they keep showing up (as well as the quality coaching, of course).
During lockdown your gym should be offering a range of online classes to suit your equipment, whether you’ve got a full home gym or a kilo bag of rice. And when the gyms open again you should be excited to go and train with your mates again! If not, it could be time to find a new gym home.
Just so you know…
We take health and safety seriously here at Nuyu and even more so since COVID. We work hard to make all our members to feel safe when they train. When the gym is open we run small, group personal training, which means everyone has enough space to train without tripping over each other.
All the equipment is fully sanitised between use and, while we love to see you sweat, we always ask you to clean up after yourself. If you’ve got any questions about how our classes are run or want to ask about joining NUYU (or trying our full money-back trial Join NUYU, get in touch with Ben.
If you know someone who needs a little support with their training, share this article. Or even better, take them out for a jog.
