It’s so important for all of us to stay motivated and active whilst sporting, leisure and group activity has been cancelled or postponed, along with the current requirement to practice social distancing. We all know that being active is vital for both our mental and physical health so here are some tips and inspiration you might find helpful:
Make a plan
As many of the Year 10 PA40+ students are discovering, planning your weekly physical activity is incredibly helpful as it allows you to feel in control, manage your time, look forward to being active and also reschedule and reflect. The added bonus of a plan is the sense of achievement when you ‘tick off’ your workout – it can actually feel as good as post-workout endorphins!
Tip: Take 15 minutes on Sunday evening to plan your physical activity for the week ahead – it’s as easy as adding events to your digital calendar or physically writing them in your diary or journal.
Keep a routine
Humans are creatures of habit but exercise routines can often be the first thing to fall to the bottom of the priority list when life throws a curveball. We’re all having to adapt our lives right now so bringing some ‘normality’ back with a routine will be helpful.
Tip: When planning, include the time of day you’re going to be active – you’ll soon discover what suits your routine best and if you prefer morning, lunchtime or evening activity. Put physical reminders around like leaving your runners next to your bed or a sticky note on the bathroom mirror or even on your lunch ingredients.
Stay local
Your local gym or studio will most likely be streaming classes or providing online resources for home workouts - this is a great way to keep doing the exercise you love, connect with your instructor and continue to support local business!
Tip: If you’re not a member of a gym or studio, ask a teammate, friend or relative to choose and complete a virtual class online together.
Get sport specific
Whether you love football or frisbee, hockey or high jump, skateboarding or surfing, - I guarantee you, there will be a workout related to your sport or activity if you simply search for it! You may not be able to participate in organised activity right now but you can condition your body so it’s ready to go as soon as you’re able to return.
Tip: Simply search your activity/sport and add the words ‘workout, training, conditioning’.
Boost your mood
Not sure what type of activity to do? Interval training has been proven to be the greatest contributor to boosting your mood, compared to other forms of exercise. It’s short and sharp so it’s done in no time! It involves a series of high intensity exercises interspersed with rest or relief periods.
Tip: Here is a full body 30 minute HIIT workout to get your started that includes beginner and advanced variations – there are thousands online, try a few and you’ll find an instructor you love in no time.
Commit to 10 minutes
If you’re not feeling 100% or just cannot find the motivation to be active, just do 10 minutes of something – walk or jog around the block, do an abdominal workout, stretch or shoot hoops – it’s extremely likely that once you get going, you’ll keep going. But even if you don’t, 10-minutes is better than nothing!
Tip: Rather than focus on why you don’t want to exercise, think about how good you’ll feel after you’ve been active. No one finishes exercise and says ‘Oh I wish I didn’t do that’.
Here are just a few of many free online guided workouts/resources you might like to try:
Full body workouts - no equipment
Pilates
Yoga
As with any exercise, if at any point during your workout you begin to feel faint, dizzy or have physical discomfort, you should stop immediately and consult a medical professional.
Students can find additional physical activity resources via the Remote Learning Wellbeing Tools CANVAS page.
Meg Saxon, Sports and Wellness Centre Manager
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