Overcoming Barriers To Exercise Due To Covid-19 And Lockdown
It’s no surprise that a lot of us are struggling getting back to training and the gym post lockdown. Many of us are experiencing mental, physical and emotional struggles related to all the sudden changes this year. I’m going to highlight some of the barriers we are faced with relating to exercise and how to overcome them.
1. WE ARE OUT OF THE HABIT
Simply put, we are just not used to training anymore. Many of us have experienced a huge disruption to our normal life both personally and professionally and this has had a knock-on effect to our training. Maybe you used to go to the gym early in the morning before work? You are one of those people that just LOVE mornings and find that an early workout energises you for the day. Or like me, you severely dislike mornings and find a post work-day session much more enjoyable. Whichever category you fall in to, Covid has changed all of it. If you have been working from home, then getting up to workout before you start the day or finding the motivation to do anything at the end of the day, when the sofa is right there calling your name, has probably become almost impossible. It is hard to workout in the same setting where you eat, sleep, work and play! With some gyms only just opening and limiting numbers in classes and workout areas, again our routines and the ‘norm’ are disrupted.
BUT WE MUST ADJUST AND CREATE A NEW ROUTINE. It will be a long time before ‘normal’ is back. Therefore, we must create a new routine, a new habit and a new ‘normal’. It takes roughly 21 days to make or break a habit and so in 3 weeks you could have created a new routine and a new workout plan. Be as consistent as the current climate allows. Pick days and times that you are able consistently go to the gym or workout and feel safe to do so. It will be difficult and feel uncomfortable at first but you have survived 2020 so far so you can survive the next 3 weeks of building a new habit!
2. WEIGHT GAIN AND LOSS OF FITNESS
Many of us have piled of a few pounds in the past few months and this can massively affect our confidence. We might feel like our fitness has regressed and we can’t do what we used to do before. Remember you are not alone. So many of us have been working from home and therefore have become less active as a result. We aren’t climbing the stairs in the office 10 times a day, nor are we walking to and from work or even the bus stop! It is all these little things that help us stay fit, so without them its easy to feel like we have become much more sedentary. Little changes will help get your fitness back on track and help those pounds start to drop off. Ease yourself back in and be kind! You may not be lifting the weights you were previously or running as far as you used to but you can build back up to that. JUST START. Start going for a walk round the block in the morning if you are still working from home. At the gym go easy for your first few sessions and learn your limits again. You run a higher risk of injury when restarting training due to being less active for a few months. Your strength will be back in no time at all if you ease yourself back in. You can do it!
3. ANXIETY AROUND COVID-19
Our work and life environment is totally different and always changing. I know a lot of us that are experiencing varying levels of anxiety because of Corona. More places are opening up, there are more people around us and in all honesty, sometimes this pandemic can just feel a bit scary. I personally have felt nervous in busier places where I find social distancing more difficult. Seeing people wearing masks is a constant reminder that Corona is still a threat to our health. Anxiety comes when we feel out of control. Remember that we can only control ourselves. Worrying about what other people are doing will zap your energy and cause unnecessary stress. You can keep your distance from people. You can wear a mask. You can remove yourself from stressful places. You can sanitise as much as is necessary. You can check how different places are handling the situation before you arrive there if you feel it will make you more comfortable. We at FITU have a strict cleaning plan in place. The studio is cleaned at the beginning and end of every day, equipment is wiped and sanitised before and after every client. We have a private studio away from the main gym, providing a much needed haven away from everything going on in the world at the moment. Most gyms like B-Fit UK, have a one way system in operation, cleaning products and sanitiser readily available for clients to use. If you are unsure about anything then there are always staff and personal trainers around to lend a hand. You can overcome anything if you put your mind to it!
