It’s no surprise that life has changed – our normal lives are not “normal” and we are all out of our routine. Fitness has changed across the world. We are unable to exercise in groups and with friends. Yet, it is still important to continue exercising to stay healthy and remain focused on our fitness goals.
What’s fitness goals when you can’t go to the gym to work on them? How does one accomplish these said goals by redirecting focus or lack of equipment?
One way to tackle this is redirecting focus to RECOVERY. Try using this time to get some extra SLEEP – doesn’t that sound nice? Another way is to work on soft tissue recovery through foam rolling, trigger point work and stretching, which are important and tend to get neglected when exercising more frequently and time is of the essence.
It is critical to loosening up tight muscles and tense fascia that wraps around them so that we can get them “firing” properly when training. Or, maybe we have a lingering injury/issue we have not addressed – now is the best time to fix the problem. Another way we can stay engaged with exercise is to work different energy systems by periodizing our training and getting out of our comfort zone. If you’re accustomed to working out indoors and are not the biggest fan of aerobic/cardio exercise, now can be the time you get outside for longer walks on paths or in the woods, begin running or go for a bike ride. By developing more endurance, it will make your indoor strength workouts and conditioning classes easier.
Basically, now is ideal to work on your weaknesses, focus on recovery, target different energy systems and switch up your fitness routine to remain engaged. Doing so during this time will give you needed mental sanity and physical health while you recalibrate and anticipate a return to our normal lives. Best wishes as you stay healthy and focused!
