Exercise During Lockdown

As a nation we are currently in lockdown number 3, the gyms are closed, getting hold of gym equipment or weights is like finding a rainbow with a pot of gold underneath it. People are spending most of their time at home, homeschooling and working remotely. Working remotely has not been an issue for me as I have worked from home most of my self employed life, however, trying to navigate that and home learning has been an experience to say the least.

I haven’t stepped foot inside a gym since the first lockdown happened, fell ill during the first one and spent close to 3 months sleeping my life away and not concentrating on a healthy diet, alas I re-gained 10 lbs and it was bothering me. My lack of healthy eating was also causing issues with my stoma, my output was like tar and for the first time in years I was experiencing major pancaking issues.

Once I got Christmas day over and done with I went back to my good old friend Joe Wicks, love him or hate him, the plan is getting me back down to pre lockdown weight and the routine is breaking up the monotony of lockdown life.

Getting back into exercise

Under normal circumstances those of us who wish to get back into exercise sign up for a gym membership and go to classes or work on our own with some pointed guide from the personal trainers, alas the gyms are closed so where do we start?

Working out at home can be stressful, you have everyone under one roof and lacking the space you may well be used to. I myself kick everyone out of the living room and do my half hours worth and then lay dying on the rug whilst my daughter sits there laughing her head off as mummy swears at the tv.

Now my bathroom is nearly complete I can go back to working out in the bedroom as I no longer have tiles and a new bathroom suite sitting at the bottom of my bed.

Storage is another issue, I currently have a step block shoved under my armchair and an array of dumbbells sitting under my dressing table in the bedroom which occasionally roll out and my little toe inevitably finds the bulkiest bit and feels a bit sore for the next few days.

So how do we manage to work out from home? Is it possible? For most of us it is – it’s just finding that little bit of you time and allocating it for that purpose.

Getting back into it

I used my stoma as an excuse for 18 months following surgery to not actively exercise, it was only because I got close to 15 st that I decided to pull up my big girl knickers and suck it up.

Was it easy? Did I cry?

It wasn’t easy, the first hiit I ever did at home I felt like my body was falling apart for 4 days after, it took me 3 months before I even braved getting a gym membership, with every work out things got easier but after 18 months I lost all motivation, found that walking 6 k a day was keeping my weight on an even keel, then lockdown happened.

Working out at home you have to find the motivation to get going, current circumstances have most of us feeling down, depressed and lacking in any motivation we may have had previously.

You have got to love Youtube; the amount of exercise videos on there is unreal, from beginners to the absolute extreme of those who do the extreme fat burners or the likes of Les Mills.

For those of you with Apple TV, they have plenty of exercise videos on there too.

Where to start?

After surgery, it will take a while to get into things. At first walking from the hospital ward to the car can seem daunting, then walking from the bedroom to the living room, getting back into exercise does not mean you have to go hammer and tong, it is a gradual process.

Set yourself targets, aim for a 1km walk, then every time you feel stronger then aim for a further distance.

Get back into exercise in your own time when you feel fit and healthy. I always make sure I wear some sort of tummy support, usually a level one when doing exercise so I feel more secure that my bag is not flapping about.

There are plenty of exercise videos, warm-ups and guides on the good old worldwide web.

I tend to stick to aerobic exercise or Joe Wicks hiits on Youtube, I just swap out the things I can’t do for the things that I can.

Things you can do whilst in lockdown:

– Bike riding

– Jogging – couch to 5 K is a good way to ease in

– Hiit exercise, never sure behind the science on this but it works for me

– Aerobics

– Dance Fit

– Just dance on the Nintendo switch

– Yoga

– Pilates

– A good old fashioned hike

There are still plenty of things that you can do to break up the monotony of lockdown life. I put to one side 30 minutes 5 days a week for my hiits and a further 45 minutes for the pupper walks daily. I find having time to myself is helping both my physical and mental health, trying to homeschool a hormonal 11 year old after packing up on the smoking back in December is testing my already frayed temper so this levels me out.

So how are you all finding lockdown? Are you struggling? My inbox is always open

As always

Many thanks for reading

Louise Xx