By Taryn Strydom
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the entire world to change the way we live our lives.
Though Lockdown undoubtedly entails frustrations, remember, if you are enduring the five-week lockdown in the suburbs, where you have a car, a paycheque and a well-stocked grocery store nearby, that makes you part of a fortunate group of South Africans.
Even though you are one of the lucky ones, some of the pandemic anxiety you might be feeling at the moment could include – how to juggle partnering, parenting, teaching children, the pressures of online working, managing your home and housework amidst the chaos and on top of that no organized sport, no gym, no fitness classes, no run with your running buddies… not even a run on your own!
In these tough times, it is imperative to understand the importance of building a strong immune system, and good physical and mental health.
Some kind of fitness routine is the order of the day now more than ever before. I am sure plenty of us started with the best of intentions, but are already losing the motivation to workout at home.
With so much uncertainty it’s difficult to prevent your motivation to keep fighting the good fight from fading, but with a little over two weeks left of our current phase of Lockdown, there are some opportunities for growth during our Lockdown struggles.
Change your mindset
The most difficult thing for a lot of people when searching for motivation to workout is how you approach it. In the current climate, it’s easy to look at working out at home as a chore, but a simple change of mindset can turn the tables. Whether you enjoy casual fitness or you are someone who trains every day, we have all been guilty of falling into a routine of doing the same or similar workouts every day. With this extra time on our hands, why not explore other ways to stay fit, and maybe even learn a new skill. Approach exercise as learning or even playing, not as a chore.
An opportunity to learn
Whether it’s perfecting the push up, doing your first pull-up or mastering handstands, now is the time to work on some things. This is a better time than ever for you to break out of tired habits and invest in a bit of self-development. Why not try something different this Lockdown. Listen to some Podcasts or register for a free course to better yourself.
Connect with Others
Just because the gym, group classes and running buddies have been taken away doesn’t mean we can’t connect with one another. It seems I am connecting with people now more than ever before.
There are a lot of innovative and creative things on social media at the moment, whether it’s live workouts on Instagram, Virtual Runs or a scheduled group class on Zoom. Even if you pick up the phone and call someone, a loved one, family member or friend, and motivate each other. You’d be surprised how powerful that can be.
In this crazy time, we are all trying to stay afloat and navigate our way through uncertainty. Staying physically healthy is one of the things that is going to help you up your game!
Visit my Facebook Page @lifeagirl.fit and my Instagram page @likeagirl.fit for new home workouts every day during Lockdown. All of the workouts make use of items that you already have at home.
All the Lockdown Home Workouts are also available on a playlist on my YouTube Channel:
