Unlocking your fitness goals during lockdown

Just because we are in isolation doesn’t mean your exercise routine should be in isolation too. Sit down and plan your weekly routine/daily structure with your work (if you are working from home), exercise and meals.

It is a perfect time to really focus on you and your wellbeing. Personally, I am treating this time like somewhat of a retreat. I am starting my day with a ginger shot (home-made and a great natural anti-inflammatory for your stomach), followed by a moderate to easy workout (cardio-based) to start the day; feeling those “feel-good endorphins” and positive responses you gain from exercise, supplemented with a more intensive workout in the evening. 

I make sure to fuel my body with fresh food that is going to keep me training and recovering from the extra daily workouts. There are currently lots of at-home or bodyweight workouts being thrown around on social media. Pick the workouts that you enjoy, add accountability for you to turn up to a specific time (live workouts) and match your fitness goals (from moving and feeling good, to targeted fitness-related goals).

Below is a guide on types of exercise that relate to different moods you might be currently experiencing every hour on the hour over this lock down. 

Mood booster

Aerobic training uses the aerobic energy system. This is perhaps the most common and important energy system as we use it for everyday living. All activities that use this energy system require oxygen to produce continued activation of the required muscle complex. 

But why does this make you feel good after? Well, your brain recognises exercise as a stress being applied to it. For your body to protect itself from this applied “stress”, it releases a protein called BDNF which helps protect and repair your brain’s memory neurons and acts as a reset button post exercise, hence why you normally feel happy or calm after exercise. 

This can include:

1. Running 
2. Walking 
3. Cycling 

Anger or frustration release

Sudden bursts of movement are generally powered by the anaerobic energy system that doesn’t require oxygen and these movements are fueled by high-energy phosphate stores found in your muscle. With these sudden movements or actions your body needs to go into a restricted or tightened format, your testosterone increases and, probably the most significant, your cortisol (stress hormone) levels drop to produce the somewhat max effort that is needed to be required to perform the exercise.

Exercises include:

1. Resistance training (body weight or with weighted exercises)
2. Skipping
3. Sprints or shuttles 

Or on the flipside, meditation or deep breathing is another option.

Long story short, to unlock your fitness goals over this lock down period, you need to find your new normal routine by planning your weeks and days, consistently train by doing things you enjoy and that hold you accountable and focus on the positive response you again from it. Now it’s time for you to plan your new norm, research on where you are getting your workouts from and get excited to become a fitter version of yourself.