If the only movement you’re getting these days is from your bed to your couch, to your work station, we totally feel you. It’s been a tough few months and the will to move or stay energised is a lot harder now than ever before. Many of us enjoyed staying indoors, being able to work from home, following Youtube workout tutorials, cooking up some delicious recipes and not having to change out of our pj’s! And now, five months on, the only thing we’re wishing is for things to go back to normal so we can resume life as we knew it.
While it may be a little longer till we can head outdoors for our day to day tasks and activities, it is seriously having an impact on our energy levels and our motivation to get up and move around. It’s easy to fall into the routine of eating, sleeping, working, video calling and then repeating it all over again; and so we bring you an easy three-step solution to take away your quarantine woes. Follow these and it should help you get out of the rut and get some much-needed activity into your day.
Change up your routine and weekly goals
If like us, you’re making a list of things to do and goals to get through during the week, then that’s half the task complete. Simply making a list will help you feel organised, and you will be able to see your goals on paper. While you are making your list, make sure to change it up every week. For example, if one week you decide to go running, the following week you could try some strength training or yoga. Material can be found in abundance online and you can follow a number of fitness trainers and videos to add that activity to your day. By changing it up, it will no longer feel like a chore, but more like a challenge.
Get a workout buddy
Now, believe us when we say, this really helps. Get your bff to sign up to an online class or decide on a workout plan that you can both do together. You don’t even have to be together to do this because everything is now online and can conveniently be done from the comfort of your home. Having a workout buddy means they can encourage you to get moving on days when you just don’t feel like moving and vice versa. There will be days when you have more energy or willpower than them, and days when they do more than you. This way you can bounce off each other and help uplift each other if you feel low or are making excuses to not get that workout in. You will also feel bad if your bestie is left to do the workout alone so you will have no choice but to join in and move that butt!
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Set some time aside for yourself
This can also be termed, productive recovery. If you’ve been working out or taking part in some strenuous activity then you may feel the need to laze all weekend. While doing that once in a while can be okay, try and recover actively. Active recovery means your body is recovering but at the same time you are getting a light activity in. This could be anything along the lines of walking to the grocery store instead of driving. Meeting your friends for a walk in the park instead of having a video conference, or even jogging to your closest coffee shop and treating yourself to the caffeine fix you’ve been craving all week!