Whatever your personal situation, regaining fitness post lockdown is essential
While the most recent pandemic-related lockdown may seem like a distant memory, there are still many ways in which its effects linger. Many people are living with loss and/or the direct impacts of having COVID, with long COVID continuing to be problematic for many. But whatever your personal situation, even if you have remained fairly unscathed, most people’s levels of fitness have dropped dramatically over this past year. Whatever your personal situation is, including your current level of general health and wellbeing, regaining fitness post lockdown is essential. These few tips are relevant for everyone, whatever your current level of fitness.
With gyms and health centres across the UK closed periodically it has been incredibly challenging to maintain a fitness routine and dispiriting to return to the gym to find it much harder to maintain the stamina you once had. Our lives are built around rhythm and routine, and having stayed at home for extended periods, this has become a habit that can seem more appealing. And habits are hard to break! However, there are some great tips to break this pattern and arrive back on your fitness journey with even more focus.
Of course, if you have never had a fitness routine it is never too late to start. And a good fitness routine does not necessarily mean going to the gym. Do something that you enjoy such as dancing or gardening but do remember that exercise needs to include both strength training and cardiovascular exercise. So, if you enjoy gardening, a bit of light deadheading the roses isn’t really going to give you a huge amount of exercise, although being out in the fresh air is always a good thing, but embracing these 5 ways to make your gardening more vigorous will certainly provide a huge range of benefits!
Dancing is also an excellent form of exercise, especially if you try a range of different styles from an elegant waltz to a more frenetic jive!
Do also consider building Pilates and yoga into your exercise routine. Or, if you are unfit, they both provide a great way to build flexibility and fitness.
But whether it’s the gym or a different form of exercise, these four tips can help you regain fitness post lockdown:
Go Slow
It can seem counterintuitive to take it easy at first when you have made a decision to get fit again, but it is key – pushing yourself hard at first can lead to injury, which in turn can lead to your workout being a one-off. It’s far better at first to take it easier. If you are a runner, which is one of the most common forms of exercise, think about the distances you used to run and reduce them. It might also be a good idea to consider using an app such as Runkeeper, for example, which can provide workouts, tools, and trainer guidance to keep you on track.
Warm Up
It’s easy to forget the importance of warming up your muscles before working out, especially when you are effectively restarting a fitness routine. But again, neglecting this area can lead to injury. There are some great videos on YouTube that have stretching routines that can be extremely helpful, and equipment like foam rollers can help prepare and relax your muscles.
This video is a great example of a stretch routine that has been designed for runners and cyclists but will provide a great lower body stretch for anyone.
Push Yourself – but Progressively!
While it is important to take it easy at first to avoid injury, it is important not to plateau. This part of fitness is psychological – something comedian Eddie Izzard emphasises when talking about her experience as an ultra-marathon runner. You may find that this area of your fitness comes back faster because of muscle memory, but it can feel great to track it using different apps.
Eat Well
During the last eighteen months, many people have adopted a ‘wine and chocolate diet’ or something similar! Clearly, that’s not a long-term option if you want to be fit and healthy, but getting used to comfort food, takeaways and too much alcohol can be another difficult habit to break!
You don’t have to cut these foods out entirely, but they should be more of an occasional treat rather than the basis of your diet!
As well as ensuring good food for good health, your body will need different things while on a fitness journey: increased protein, more vegetables, and complex carbohydrates can fuel workouts.
And don’t forget that during the last eighteen months, most people have found their mental health has suffered, so be sure to include foods that can help reduce levels of anxiety and stress in your diet.
Yes, there’s nothing new here. But nonetheless, a lot of people are still struggling with regaining fitness post lockdown, so a little reminder of what you already know may, perhaps, encourage you to take action!