No Gym No Problem

The year is 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the world like something out of a sci-fi or horror film.
Countries are in lockdown, people have been asked to stay at home, and gyms are closed!

But that does not mean that training has to stop, quite the contrary, it is now more important than ever to keep up or start a training routine.

In this post, I am going to give you my top 5 ways to stay fit and keep training during COVID-19 and beyond! Without the use of a gym. 

Now let’s get into each one in detail……..

1) Start Calisthenics

If you are familiar with Raising Ther Bar, you will know we are an advocate at Calisthenics

The Cambridge English dictionary defines callisthenics as
“(a system of) simple physical exercises that are done to make the body firm, able to stretch easily, and more attractive.”

and the Collins English Dictionary as:
“light exercises designed to promote general fitness, develop muscle tone, etc.”

or as I like to describe it sometimes “resistance training using your body.”

Callisthenics, although it can become challenging, is easy to start, requires little to no equipment and can be performed just about anywhere.

Basic calisthenics moves include exercises such as:

2) Find A FREE Online Class You Like

Due to COVID-19 and gyms closing, personal trainers and fitness professionals are all turning online, and online fitness classes are popping up all over the place from YOGA to boxercise, and HIIT to Tabata.

You can now follow any class you want now from the comfort of your own home, and the best thing about this is that a large majority of these trainers are giving these classes for free! (kudos to you guys).

The other beauty of this is that a lot of people won’t go to group classes for a number of reasons and insecurities, feeling unfit or unable, worrying about what others might think or may say and even the fear of the unknown.
Now you don’t have to worry; you can train with hundreds of people from home with no one watching you.

This is also an excellent opportunity to try different types of classes to see if you like them and if they suit you.

3) Train At Home

Yes, callisthenics and online fitness classes are both examples of training at home, but for this tip, I am focusing more on gym-type training at home.

Find a section of your home, garage, shed or corner of a room, buy some equipment and train from home.
Although there is an initial cost if you can get into a habit of training at home, you aren’t reliant on a gym; you can save time and money and with only a few pieces of equipment can complete full-body workouts that work.

Check out: Best Home Gym Setup for Lifting Weights at home

Types of essential home equipment include:

4) Get Outside

Ok so I am aware that this tip is going to differ from person to person and country to country due to various imposed restrictions but if you have the option to, you should be getting outside as much as possible (provided you are social distancing and staying safe).

I am lucky enough to have a rather large garden, but all you need is fresh air, space to move and a plan for what you are going to do.
( Read: You Need a Plan!)

5) Create A Working Routine

So what do I mean by creating a working routine well I mean just that.
Take a working task that needs to be done and turn it into a workout or think of it as a fitness routine and try to make it more fun and challenging.

For example, I already mentioned my garden, and I did that on purpose because my daily working routine during this current pandemic is gardening, and I have never done so much of it.

As my garden is quite large, the work is never-ending and includes, which has its downsides but also means I can create multiple different working routines which can have as much benefit as HIIT class.

Examples of these include:

• Shovelling
• Pic axing
• Log splitting
• Tree digging and replanting
• Grass cutting.. (lots and lots of grass cutting(
• Wheelbarrowing
• Stone picking
• Strimming etc.

Gardening is just an example and other home working tasks that can also burn calories and keep you active include:

Make it more challenging add in fitness or dance moves, and make it fun.
Kill two birds with one stone!
Remember, every little bit helps.

Trainers Thoughts

The biggest takeaway from the current “pandemic” is that training, getting outside and moving, in general, is a necessity.
Just because most things are shut down, and the places you can go are limited doesn’t mean any of these need to stop, and it is more critical during this period to keep moving and training not just for your physical health but for your mental health as well.
And if you didn’t have a regular training routine or have always wanted to start training, now is the perfect time to start.

Stay strong, stay safe, and keep training and moving!

If you would like advice or someone to talk to about any of the above, please get in touch here: Contact Me!