Launch Out of Lockdown — Fit In The Middle

Lockdown 6, Melbourne... and if you're anything like me, you thought it would pass by as quickly as the fifth one. A couple of weeks catching up on Netflix and you'd jump straight back into your healthy lifestyle. 58 days down, some of our better habits are history, but we're all hoping to be off the leash in another 5 weeks and resuming some sort of normal life, just as Melbourne's spring sun is getting a foothold.

Keeping up our healthy habits during this time has been tough. Most don't have access to all the workout equipment at the gym or the specialist classes we love. Our fitness professionals have been stuck at home on the couch too, with the added worry of replacing an income. The communities we tap into that keep us accountable aren't there either - the chats before and after a class, or the skinny capp you just earned.

For some people, it's not possible to adopt a new regimen that duplicates the results we'd get "on the outside". As you age though, it becomes more difficult to recover any decline in fitness, so it's essential to maintain the status quo until all facilities are available. Here's 5 tips to keep your conditioning - or at least minimise any decline - so you're prepared to cut loose once lockdown is over.

Tip 1 - Protect Your Core

All that crunching and twisting you did at pilates class is protecting your spine, but now it’s Use It or Lose It Time. Every extra iso-kilo places further strain on your spine, especially for anyone tending to put on weight around the belly. Maintaining core strength isn't difficult and can fit in perfectly with your couch time. Drop down and hold a plank every ad break, or find some other trigger - just like you'd do in drinking games! Core exercises are simple ones to do in front of the TV. You don't need to change into workout gear, you're not jumping about annoying the household and none of us need to plank for an hour. Core exercises can be done every day, so sneak in some planks. Here's a short video of 5 core exercises you can do every day to maintain and build core strength, protecting your spine and keeping lower back pain at bay.

Tip 2 - Create a workout space

People forced out of the office have discovered the importance of separating home and work. It helps to have a designated spot for work, so you can switch on and off. Exercise works the same way. Setting up a space to exercise at home makes it easier to focus on tasks at hand. Find a room in your house, a corner in the garage or a spot under the pergola and get together all the things you need to do your chosen exercise. I've set up a spot in the garage so I can start without thinking. There's some weights and resistance bands, a small bench, a kettlebell, the rower I hired for lockdown and a bluetooth speaker. I always find starting the hardest part, so this workout zone removes the obstacles (yes - excuses!) that get in the way.

Doesn’t have to be grand - just easy to get started

Tip 3 - Scheduling gets it done

Over the last 5 years, I've booked into over one thousand exercise sessions - and barely missed one. Yet during lockdown, somehow I went weeks without working out. The difference? I do what's written down in my diary. In normal times, I book classes 2-3 weeks ahead and then arrange my life around these and other commitments. it's no different for working out at home - scheduling prioritises it. There's parallels again to working or learning from home, where time-blocking is an effective way to churn through the day's important tasks. You can jump onto one of the many live Zoom classes being offered by gyms, studios and individual trainers to add a layer of accountability. Otherwise, just get it done by booking a time with yourself.

Tip 4 - Add kids

Got kids at home? Get them involved and they might just be the toughest trainer you've ever had. Get them away from their screens and let them decide the exercises you're doing today. They'll love being part of your fitness routine and will hold you to the commitments you make to them to train. It's good for all of you!

Tip 5 - YouTube something new

There's a reason that YouTube is the second most visited website in the world - you can find video content on just about everything. You'll find enough free, high quality workouts to last a lifetime. Why not try something different though? Use lockdown time to check out something you'd never, ever do - some country and western line dancing, a bit of Zumba, or how about doing a belly dancing class?

Normal programming shall resume

Remember that we're not trying to qualify for the Olympics as we emerge from our lounge rooms. Making movement a priority over these coming weeks will keep our spines and healthy and have us ready to enjoy the activities that will soon open up for us. What we don’t want is to get an injury and be laid up as soon as Melbourne opens up! So make a space and time to be active, get the family involved, try something different and you'll be ready to launch out of lockdown

Launching out of Lockdown - 5 tips for holding fitness until freedom