When the announcement came through in March that all gyms were closing, I was completely lost. I found myself wanting to keep up with my fitness routine but having no idea how to do this at home. As someone who wasn’t (and still isn’t!) into running I was desperate to find some alternatives. So, I did what anyone who is my age would do and I turned to social media. I started following fitness accounts on instagram and eventually I developed a home workout regime.
Cut to today. Boris Johnson has just announced that the UK will be entering a second lockdown and gyms are due to be closed once again. This next month is set to be an incredibly difficult time for everyone. If like me you love going to the gym you may be worrying about how to stay fit from the comfort of your own home, here are a few tips that I learnt throughout the first lockdown.
- Follow Fitness Accounts on Instagram
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Fitness influencers are one of the best (and free!) ways to receive fitness advice. Many are qualified personal trainers or have been on their own fitness journey for over 5+ years. They post a variety of workouts on their feeds tailored to both beginners and those who are more advanced in the gym. Many of the workouts do involve weights, however there are some that are completely bodyweight, meaning you don’t need any equipment. My favourite fitness influencers are: @meggangrubb, @krissycela, @emrickettz and @natacha.oceane. Between these influencers they have hundreds of workouts posted on their instagram pages and many also have YouTube accounts. My best advice would be to browse these pages and just try something new!
- Purchase a Home Workout Plan
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Whilst the above fitness influencers have loads of great workouts on their instagram for free, if you are able to, I would also recommend purchasing a home workout plan. There are many options out there, however I would personally recommend the Empower 12 Week Home Guide . This guide is a 12 week full body training plan which is designed to help you train anywhere with just a few small pieces of kit. This guide costs £19.99 and it is a one-time payment. The programme can be tailored to working out either 3, 4 or 5 days a week. This guide not only features pictures of how to perform each exercise but also includes tips on how to warm up effectively and how to have a strong mindset about fitness. This guide was one of the best purchases that I made during the first lockdown! The great thing is that this plan can also be adapted to the gym once they reopen.
- Try Yoga
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If high intensity training doesn’t interest you and you would prefer something that is lower impact why not give yoga a try! Yoga is a great way to both move your body and destress after a long day dealing with online classes and deadlines. I would recommend subscribing to the YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene as she posts videos that are super easy to follow and are for all abilities. The length of the videos range from 10 to 40 minutes, so they are perfect for when you have a busy day. To make this even more enjoyable why not get your flatmates or housemates involved and host your very own yoga class in your living room.
Hopefully these tips are helpful! Please remember that fitness isn’t just about your physical health, but it is also about your mental health. It is really important to do what feels right for you and to try and move your body a little bit every day, even if it’s just a 5 minute yoga stretch in the morning. Exercise can improve your mood and reduce stress. For many of us the world is a scary and stressful place right now, therefore exercise is a great way to just forget everything and move your body.