How to keep fit during lockdown

Did you ever sit and think ‘what would I do differently each day if Groundhog Day was real?’. It was a fun scenario to imagine yourself in. If you had the chance to live one day over and over again to live the perfect day with no regrets. Figuring what you’ve done wrong and how you can edit that to fit your perfect vision and live a perfect day. Sounds great right? Well, I think we can all agree, it’s not. It’s exhausting. You wake up, get tired from doing the bare minimum, and repeat. And that’s been the case for keeping fit during lockdown. You wake up on Monday morning with the intention to work out to the best of your ability all week, then it gets to Wednesday and you tell yourself you’ll try another method next Monday because you get fed up, right?

Don’t worry, keeping fit during lockdown hasn’t been easy for any of us. And if you’re a gym lover – I feel your pain. But it’s okay – we are in this together. Keeping fit doesn’t mean you have to do those hour long intense workouts every single day. I’m going to let you in on some tips on how to stay fit during lockdown without hitting a rut in a boring fitness cycle.

Get your steps in

Not only is getting your steps in good for your physical health, but it’s also amazing for your mental health. Just taking a walk outside for a new change of scenery will work wonders. Podcasts have helped me get my steps in. I stick on an hour long podcast and go for a walk and before you know it, the podcast has finished and I’m walking back home. If you get bored easily, it’s an enjoyable way to stay occupied and stay fit at the same time!

If you want to take it to the next level and set yourself some goals, you can buy yourself a step tracker, or there are plenty of apps you can download which do this for you. Run keeper is also a great app that helps tracks your walks and runs, while helping you train to run a 5K.

Healthy competition

Set up a group with your friends and see who can get the most steps in per week. A bit of healthy competition has worked wonders for me. It gives you something to work for and pushes you even if you don’t feel like getting out the house one day. You can do this with home workouts too. Here at Fit for life youth, we have zoom sessions Monday-Saturday. Start a group and see who takes part in the most sessions. Trust me – it works.

Running

There has been a rise in people taking up running as a way to keep fit, and also a hobby. The adrenaline you get from running is amazing, and it is an instant mood booster. You just need to get out of the door, which can sometimes be the hardest part. If you struggle with this, focus on going on a walk first, and maybe you can run home after. Or get the couch to 5K app and follow that. It’s the baby steps to reach that end goal that will keep you motivated and keep you consistent.

Live workouts

I briefly mentioned our daily zoom sessions. There are so many to join in on right now, and it’s a fun way to stay motivated and keep fit during lockdown. An issue I found with home workouts, are that they can be repetitive and boring. But live workouts are just like taking part in a gym class. You have a community together with the same drive to keep fit, and the instructors are amazing at pushing you to reach your fitness goals. Sometimes you just need a little push and help to get through the workout, and having someone helping you do that is all you need, so I highly recommend finding some live workouts that suits you!

These are just a few ways to keep fit and get you started on your fitness journey over lockdown. As soon as you know it, gyms will reopen and we will be living our normal best lives again. So use this time to focus on yourself and your own goals. Keeping fit doesn’t just benefit your physical health, but also your mental health. So be kind to yourself. You’ve got this!