A staggering 87% of gym users planned to resume their gym membership post lockdown however with the understandable reluctance for some to return and our new found love for the great outdoors can help us. The gym offers a wide range of benefits and absolutely has a place to play in the new world, albeit with a few changes. If we take a deeper look at what we are all trying to achieve when embarking in a fitness journey we can break it into categories that can be achieved either within the gym or in the outside world. Strength, stamina, flexibility, wellbeing amongst others once focused on can be achieved without much equipment.
The home workouts served many well during lockdown but why not choose to fit in some fitness to our daily lives.
1, Walk to work. If you are a desk based worker you are probably working from home right now. That’s approximately 10 steps to work from across the hallway. We have noticed a trend of home workers finding it difficult to switch from home life to work life and vice versa. One way to rectify this is to walk to work. Before you login or send that first email take a walk around the block and do the same at the end of your working day. As well as helping with your stamina it will also help your low back. If you don’t take enough breaks or work for too long you are usually less productive, less healthy and more importantly more stressed. If you need to borrow a dog do it, this forces you into walking.
2, Take a bike ride. If you’ve got kids get them on their bikes to blow off some energy and at the same time you get some exercise. Use a gear that makes pushing the pedals that bit harder. You will build strength in your legs and hopefully you will have fun as a family.
3, Start the couch to 5k. Running has never been so easy! The couch to 5k app allows you to build up slowly and take your time to get fit. Aimed at novice runners this can also be useful for the returning runner. It’s a great way to prevent overuse injuries (keeping you out of our clinic). If you would rather run with others there are a host of local running clubs that would welcome you with open arms. The social aspect of fitness is why we do it after all. Check out our ‘keeping active’ blog for some more running tips.
4, Dance. Put the radio on and dance or join a dance class. Online classes can offer us the chance to pretend we are strictly contestants or move like Beyonce. This is great for your stamina, flexibility and most of all wellbeing.
Over to you…. Good luck and have fun!