At the time of writing this we are 2 weeks into the UK lockdown and let's be honest we have no idea if it will end after one more week, continue on for a few more weeks or will be made even stricter.
This is something that we have no control over (Apart from STAYING AT HOME aside from your essential shopping and daily exercise), but what we can have control over is still looking after our fitness, physical health and mental health.
1) Look after your mental health - This is key and should be put first. If you're not mentally in a good place it's very difficult to look after everything else so make this your primary goal.
Having a strict, disciplined routine and not getting stuck in the habit of 'slobbing around' will set the foundations for being in control of your days and will keep you doing the things that keep you in check.
Switch off the news, utilise your daily outdoor exercise, limit social media usage and everyday make a list of what it is your want to do and achieve.
2) Exercise most, if not everyday - If you're able to, getting out the house for your daily allowed outdoor exercise is a non-negotiable along with an at home workout if that's your kind of thing.
There are a ton of home workouts on instagram and most personal trainers are offering home workout programmes at a very affordable price so get in touch with your favourite if you need some structure and guidance with that. Mix things up between weights/resistance training, cardio training, core/abs and sports type workouts such as boxfit to keep things interesting.
3) Watch your food - Our overall daily activity will be down a lot due to less steps, moving around, shorter workouts etc which means the amount of calories our bodies are using will be lower.
This means that if we don't reduce, or at the very least maintain, our calorie intake (The amount we are eating) we are probably going to gain a few pounds of body fat once this is all over.
The temptation to snack will be greater. The couple of beers on a friday night will sneak into the week days.
Have discipline and stay focused!
4) Add in stretching/yoga/mobilty into your daily routine - Being inside all day everyday isn't going to do any good for our posture and flexibility. Aim to incorporate some stretching/mobility work into your daily routine to keep those muscles nice and loose and you'll thank yourself in the long run.
Focus firstly on the shoulder/upper back and the hips/lower back then work from there.
5) Keep a positive mindset about the situation - This WILL pass. When that will be, no one knows. In the meantime, try to focus on the positives of your situation. More than likely you've been given the gift of more time so use that time to get those pesky jobs done around the house you've been putting off for ages, FaceTime a friend or family member, learn a new hobby or simply have a rest if you're still working!
Have you though about Virtual Personal Training during the lockdown?
The main aim of the Virtual PT product is to keep you fit, in shape and mentally healthy (Let's face it, our mental health is going to be tested in 3 weeks time and exercise is one of the best ways to counter that).
- Virtual Personal Training sessions where we basically conference call/facetime/video call etc a home workout. So it would just be like me doing a face to face session with you, only I would be on screen instead of in person. This will ideally be done via Microsoft Teams (A new video call platform).
- Home Workouts to do in your own time. I recommend doing home workouts everyday, more for your own sanity so you can let off some steam by being cooped up all day everyday. For you guys, and to keep myself accountable too with my own training, I will be posting my own workout EVERY DAY. This will be posted on a private ACM Fit Facebook group along with other content which I will talk about below. In addition to this you will also get your own personalised home workouts via MyPTHub.
- Full Nutrition Support. More than likely you will have to adjust your calorie intake slightly to account for the reduction in activity, but we can work together as much as you need whether it be more regular reviews of your food diary, exact meal plan, whatever you need.
- Also on the Facebook Group I mentioned I will be posting more daily content with tips and advice on how to maximize your training, nutrition and surviving the lockdown.
If this is something that interests you then email on adam@acmfit.com or feel free to message me on social media (@adamcmorris / @acmfit ).