It’s been quite a shock to see everything chaotically unfold in the past month because of coronavirus. If someone had told me a month ago what was to come – not just locally – but on a global scale, it would have been hard to believe. School closings, public areas shut down (tried to walk through the park the other day, was kicked out in less than three minutes), and mutual fear from everyone at risk of the respiratory virus. To put it plainly: it sucks.
My spring semester was sliced in half and I am now stuck at home for who knows how long. Every single college student’s routine was thrown out the window and our day-to-day problems dissipated the moment we were told school’s out until further notice. Of course, new issues have developed based on the uncertainty of the situation and the shock of not being able to continue with our academic and social lives. But if I have to social distance for a couple of weeks to protect myself and others, it won’t be that bad.
The real struggle now is continuing with these routines I became comfortable with when I was in college. Back at school, I was waking up early for classes, proficiently studying and completing assignments on time, eating healthy meals more often than not and my personal favorite: going to the gym almost every day. I had never been a gym enthusiast until my freshman year in college; machines at the gym intimidated me and my inability to properly use them kept me away my entire life. However, knowing that as a student I had access to a free gym 24/7 and it was a five-minute walk away from me piqued my interest, and when I had nothing to do, I figured: “well, why not?”
That question ended up being the motivating factor to keep me going every single day. I began telling myself that I had no excuse not to go when I had free time, and it quickly became a sparkly new addition to my lifestyle. I loved the gym. I didn’t at first, especially when I had to summon up the courage to begin working out in front of others and feeling paranoid that I was doing all the exercises wrong. But the more I practiced, the more strength I accumulated, and I kept on impressing myself with how hard I could push myself. I started noticing changes in my body, mood and the way I viewed myself shifted into a more positive light.
Flash forward to now.
I’m barely waking up on time for my zoom classes.
I half-ass assignments because I can’t concentrate.
I’m doing THIS.
AND THE GYM IS CLOSED.
If you haven’t picked up on it already, I tend to be quite the perfectionist when it comes to routines. But let’s not over-dramatize anything, all of these bad habits can be fixed. I’m still a victim of the constant snacking and cannot provide advice on that one, but I can offer tips on how to stay motivated to work out during this hectic time – even if you have never been to the gym before!
Realize the amount of free time you have during the quarantine.
And listen… if you’re social distancing, you know you have additional spare time. It could be the time spent scrolling aimlessly through social media instead used to get some physical activity in. Depending on your level of physical comfort, put aside anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to work out when you know you have nothing going on.
Don’t have equipment at home? No problem.
There are thousands of online, free workouts available to follow without needing any equipment. Depending on your goals, you can essentially find any workout catered to your needs and they can easily be done at home. For example, if you want a 20-minute cardio workout, all I did was look it up! I always love it when they have accompanied gifs so I can make sure I’m doing it right.
Get family members to work out with you!
If this seems like a bad idea to you, go ahead and skip this one. But I always find my home workouts more enjoyable if I can get my sister to do it with me. The more you put it out into your household that you are craving a nice workout, maybe someone will hop along and motivate you to follow through with it!
I always tell myself this: If I work out today, I did something productive!
These past few weeks seem to have intermeshed all into one ball of nothingness. And honestly, some days I find myself moving from my bed to my couch, back to my bed. But even a 15-minute workout can improve your mood and get you off the internet for a little bit.
This may sound absurd, but TikTok has some really fun at-home exercises to follow.
I have been bookmarking workouts on TikTok like a madwoman. So many users have been dedicating their screen time to specialized workouts that anyone can follow. I would highly recommend taking a look through the workout side of TikTok! And you can combine 2-3 videos (whether one is abs, another one glutes) to make an awesome workout.
And as overused as this catchphrase is, Rome was not built in a day. If time does not allow for it and working out often isn’t a passion of yours, I get it. Working out at home can often feel like a burden. But the same question I asked myself: “why not?” is the reason why I push myself. And who knows how much longer quarantine will be around for? Even if you start working out once or twice a week at home, you’ll be able to notice the changes and hopefully get the summer bod you wanted when all is said and done.
Stay safe!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!