Tag: lockdown life

Everything You Need to Know About Home Workouts From Over a Year of Exercising at Home

If you are based in the UK, you will be aware of things easing as lockdown gradually lifts and life in general becomes a lot less restricted.

Well, if you’re anything like me (and a lot of the rest of the population to be fair) and you tried to make lemonade out of a pandemic by using the additional time indoors to get in shape, you may also have learnt a thing or two about home workouts from the countless YouTube workout videos (Chloe Ting anyone??) and live workout sessions hosted on various social media platforms.

Now I was actually pretty committed to my new-found exercise habit last year and worked out regularly for the most part of 2020.  And I’d be lying if I said that the comments I received from family and friends about my slimmer figure didn’t fuel my motivation. 2021, however, has been a VERY different story so far in that I’ve been eating a ton of crap and have hardly done any exercise except for trips up and down the stairs to get snacks but I’m trying to get back into working out regularly. I saw huge benefit in regular exercise, not only on the scales, but particularly in my mental health and overall body confidence.

It was easier to throw myself into exercise back in March 2020 when lockdown was still a fresh, new concept, thinking of it more like a short-lived gift of a little additional time indoors and a unique opportunity to really get in shape and look great for our grand entrance back into society in a couple of months’ time. When it became clear that this lockdown life was here for the long haul, I realised that my motivation dwindled, which I’m sure is related to the anxiety I felt from the uncertainty of how long this pandemic would cripple my social life for.

I thought it quite timely to get this post out now what with things slowly but surely returning to what feels somewhat normal again, and particularly since gyms have reopened. You may even be feeling pressure to go to the gym now if you want to lose weight or become stronger, particularly if you were used to attending a gym pre-pandemic. Well, I’m here to tell you that you definitely can achieve your weight loss goals from home if you want to.

Disclaimer: if you are aiming to gain a lot of muscle, and have a desire to bulk up, then there are some things which you will ideally need a gym for because they will involve heavy weights that may not be readily available to you at home and are extremely costly to buy.

That being said, here are the 11 things you need to know about regularly exercising at home, as a beginner, from almost a year of lockdown-inspired home workouts

It’s easier to continue once you get started

Starting is definitely the hardest part but the great thing about exercise is that even if you’re just starting out and you’ve never partaken in regular exercise before, there is this rush of endorphins that you get from it and your body helps you crave that feeling again by, you guessed it, exercising again, so it creates this cycle that easily lends itself to becoming a regular habit.

If you don’t know where to start and are looking for some inspiration, try heading to YouTube and searching for “beginner workouts”; there are plenty of different types of exercise videos to choose from, ranging from dance workouts to body strength exercises that you don’t need equipment for, and you can find your preference and which type of movement works best for you.

Start straight away

If you postpone it, you are likely to keep finding excuses and put off starting.

I am very guilty of giving myself a couple of days’ “grace” to eat whatever I want (usually at the weekend) and then telling myself I will start eating clean and exercising from Monday, but the truth is; you really don’t need to do that. There is absolutely no difference between starting on a Monday, and starting on Saturday, or whatever other day of the week it might be when you make the decision. You can decide to change your life for the better at any moment, including right now.

You will most likely need to adjust your schedule to fit in time to work out

This is especially true if you have younger kids. I don’t know what it is about them but they just seem to have this universal aversion to sleep. The chances are that if you have young kids, they probably double as your alarm clock most days because of how early they wake up. With that in mind, you’ll have to wake up even earlier than them to squeeze in that time for yourself to work out.

And if you’re anything like me and find it really hard to work out when summer heatwave is on full blast then you really want to knuckle down and make a habit of exercising before the weather gets too hot so that you’re more likely to be disciplined about continuing when it does start to properly heat up. Also, hello summer body! With the way things are looking covid-wise, we might actually get to have a proper summer this year so that should fuel your motivation to look your absolute best.

Your body will protest at first but power through

It’s very likely that your body will ache and be sore in the areas that you’ve worked out, so if you do a leg workout for instance, you can expect to really feel it in your thighs the next day…especially when you walk up or down stairs, and especially if you decide to do one of Emi Wong’s YouTube workouts (which are amazing by the way!) And if you are brave enough to do full-body workouts, you may feel sore all over. Well, you know that phrase “no pain, no gain”? It didn’t just come out of nowhere and there is truth to it. As your muscles start to be used in ways they haven’t been prior to you exercising, it causes microscopic damage, or tears, to the muscle fibres resulting in soreness or stiffness in the muscles involved. Ouch! But the great news is, as your body becomes accustomed to you working those muscles more regularly, your body starts to heal much quicker and gradually, you stop feeling sore after working out.

Stretching is super important and you WILL regret it if you don’t

I completely understand why you would want to focus more on the part that actually burns the calories and helps in shifting the fat rather than the aftercare part but your muscles get shorter when you exercise and as explained above, they are also tearing from exercising, so it’s important to stretch them out as much as possible to decrease muscle tension in your body after you’ve finished exercising.

Stretching also improves your flexibility and reduces risk of injury. And believe it or not, you’re meant to stretch for as long as you work out for so definitely don’t skip this part of your exercise routine.

Trust the process and resist the urge to check the mirror or scales obsessively

You may be tempted to start checking the mirror more often, expecting to see instant results, especially if this is your first time really starting to exercise. You might think that it should be such a shock to your body that the fat will just melt right off after that first workout, especially if it was a good one. Well, you won’t see instant results but consistency definitely pays off in the long run and if you keep it up, you will see results eventually.

Your body may temporarily look worse before it starts looking better

Now, I don’t fully understand the science behind this, but I know for a fact that the times I’ve started exercising regularly, when I do notice changes in my body, they are always negative first before positive, even when coupled with a good diet. I’ll notice that the fat seems to hang off my body more noticeably before I eventually realise I’ve started to trim down.

My theory is that as the muscles in your body underneath the fat stores are being activated, this causes the fat to perk up somewhat, making it more noticeable, however this chubbier appearance is short-lived so don’t let it serve as a deterrent and stop you from taking important steps for your health and fitness.

Get your kit sorted

For regular home workouts, you will need:

  • A proper, good-quality sports bra, ideally a few of them since they’ll be getting sweaty every time you work out and you’ll need to rotate between them when others are dirty and/or in the wash
  • Clothes that you can move in that also keep you as cool as possible. You want to avoid leggings that slide down as you exercise and don’t stay in place. You also should ensure that what you’re wearing is comfortable to move in, breathable, and doesn’t make you feel suffocated or restricted in any way
  • An exercise mat. You can technically get away with just using your floor if you’d rather not buy a mat but if you plan to do anything involving floor work, it’s best to have a mat for hygiene reasons

It may be physical exercise you’re doing but the benefit far transcends the physical

Allow me to unpack that

Exercise improves your mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, negative moods and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function.

Regular exercise has also been seen to increase energy levels, encourage better sleep at night, relieve stress and improve memory. It is also a total mood booster and has a way of really setting you  up for the day  when done first thing in the morning.

Don’t get bogged down by the numbers on the scales

I know I’ve made a few references to scales in this post and honestly, I’ve always been heavy, even when I’ve been at my absolute slimmest but because we’ve essentially been hardwired to associate our literal weight with our body size and image, we can’t accept that even if we are heavier than we’d like to be, we may still look great and feel happy about our body size, so save yourself the stress and don’t fret about what the scales may say.

Most of all, enjoy it and find what works for you!

Do you like switching it up and finding new workouts each time? Or are you the kind of person that likes to know exactly what to expect and prefers to do the same workout every day? Do you prefer traditional exercise moves or would you rather get down to a dance workout video? Or maybe Pilates is more up your street. Either way, the only way you’re going to find what works for you is by trying different things and getting to know your exercise style.

Also, just as a heads up for those of you that start using YouTube home workout videos, don’t be deceived by the person hosting the session; if they say “last one!” or “just one more!” when you’re doing a certain number of reps (repetitions) of a particular move. They’re probably about to step it up and do an intense burst of the same move before actually letting you rest, if they let you rest at all. And yes, you will start talking (more like screaming) to your laptop, phone, TV, or whatever you’re using to play your workout videos if you decide to do cardio. It’s pretty much a rite of passage. Finally, drink your water and take breaks whenever you need to. Don’t mind the people in the video that don’t know how to rest or hydrate, I’m convinced some of them are computer-generated

Have you started working out recently? Or maybe you also started during the lockdown and have kept it up till now. Wherever you are on your fitness journey, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Tee x

Tee
Life Lessons from Almost a Year of Lockdowns

Welcome to my page! I’m so excited to be finally writing my first blog post and I’m really happy to have you here!

It’s been on my heart to start this blog for a while now so to actually be putting fingers to keyboard feels historic.

Before I fall even further into my feelings here, let’s get into today’s topic.

So you know how we’ve all been stuck inside way more than usual? And words like “lockdown”, “quarantine” and the term “social distancing” have all become part of our normal vocabulary (not forgetting about Zoom which, let’s be honest, none of us knew about before 2020!)? Well as horrible as it is to remember that the reason is because we are in the throes of a worldwide pandemic that has been taking so many lives, there are still SOME positives that can come out from what is, in essence, a very sucky situation. So here are FIVE important things we can take from almost a year of on-off lockdowns that should be carried with us for the rest of our lives, even once this ordeal becomes an all-but-forgotten memory:

Our Health Needs to Always Be a Top Priority

If your vitamin game has been strong these past few months, you are definitely not alone. Something about a deadly virus ravaging the world really encourages you to eat your greens and take your vitamins. Particularly the immunity power trio: vitamin C (for preventing infections and shortening their duration), vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin we all know and love that supports general immune function) and zinc (to produce new immune system cells).

I saw a quote on an Instagram post that said something like this: it’s only when you’re really sick that you realise that there was only really one thing that was truly important…your health. And it’s so so true because even when you think about all the things you love and hold dear, your family, your friends, maybe your job or business, your hobbies, none of those things can even be enjoyed if you’re dangerously sick with your life at stake. At such times, the only focus becomes getting better, and how much tighter you’ll hold onto all of those things you do love once you’re okay again. So it’s important for us to take care of our health as an absolute priority; physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and everything in between.

If you’re stuck for what to do, why not get your body moving with a home workout? Pamper yourself with a face mask and an at-home manicure (Disclaimer: skincare and manicures are not only for us girls so I’m talking to the fellas here as well!) Watch your favourite show and grab some snacks. Self-care is important for maintaining our overall health and wellbeing and shouldn’t be overlooked, especially not now.

We Need to Connect with Those We Love

Whether it’s a regular Zoom call with the grandparents or a socially distanced walk with your best friend, times like these show us that we need to do whatever we can to nurture the relationships we value. No man (or woman) is an island. And even the most antisocial of homebodies I’m sure will agree that this year has challenged the very core of all of us that would have previously identified as introverts pre-pandemic (I say what I’m about to say with my full chest: I personally will never, NEVER again call myself an introvert or homebody after this! I just wanna go to a wedding, or a dinner, heck I’ll even settle for a kid’s birthday party at this point! Just anywhere that has people I don’t live with there and that isn’t. my. house.)

One thing is for sure, whether your ideal evening is at a crowded bar with 15 of your closest friends or you’re on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, vibing by yourself in your room with your playlist going, some scented candles burning and your journal, one thing is for sure; we need to connect with our loved ones every so often in some way, shape or form. There is a part of every single one of us that thrives in community so don’t neglect that part of you. Have a longer chat than usual with your neighbour. Go for a walk with your family. Call that friend you’ve been thinking about recently. You’ll be surprised at how much a chat with an old friend can lift your spirits.

Showing Gratitude is Important

Not gonna lie, it seemed pretty trivial to me to clap for the NHS outside of our windows at 6.00pm on a weekly basis rather than the government doing more meaningful acts of appreciation like increasing public health funding, improving NHS workers’ pay, and implementing services that would cater to their mental health needs. Mental health in particular should have been a major priority for them considering that frontline workers were and still are constantly seeing people suffer, die and be completely alone in their last moments because of Covid-19, which undoubtedly takes its toll. I can, however, appreciate that despite the clap gesture being (arguably) misplaced, it reminded us of the importance of showing people gratitude in general and, more specifically, letting those on the frontline know how much we appreciate them putting themselves on the line for the sake of our health and safety every single day. Even if it’s a simple “thank you, I appreciate you” to the shop worker that served you on the tills during lockdown or a quick chat with the postman as he drops off your 476th delivery since March, let’s find a way to show appreciation to each other during these crazy times.

A Means of Escape is Very Much Necessary

Has your and/or your family’s screentime also gone through the roof? I don’t know about you but I find that I am relying so much more on my favourite shows (particularly comedy shows) and also great reads to get me through these countless days at home. Especially with two little kids that have SOOO much energy and nowhere decent to put it! Balancing motherhood, wifehood, work-from-home life, and the overall emotional rollercoaster that is not being able to see the loved ones we don’t live with, and not being able to visit the places we’d usually go to under normal circumstances, is no easy feat. With these things in mind, a bit of escapism can help in temporarily allowing us to forget our current reality and be transported into a whole other world where the pandemic thankfully doesn’t reside (unless you happen to be reading a book or watching a show about a pandemic, in which case, do you enjoy suffering?)

I’m currently loving watching episodes New Girl (series available on Amazon Prime) for one of my means of escape. I actually watched it years ago and stopped before completing the series but forgot just how funny it is 😀 I’m also reading an amazing book at the moment called ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ by Tomi Adeyemi that I haven’t yet finished but is already my new favourite book. It’s taking all of my restraint to savour it and not cram it all in in one evening! (On that note: stay tuned for a future blog post on my favourite series, movies and books to help you get through what’s probably going to be another very long year).

Find and Fuel Your Passion and Purpose

Excuse me while I get a little bit deep on this last point. This past year has shown that no one on Earth knows tomorrow. A lot of us probably wouldn’t have believed it if two years ago, we were told that at some point, the whole world would be plunged into a social darkness never seen before in modern history, and that the entire world population would be taking refuge at home in light of the eventual slaughter of millions of people at the hands of a diabolical virus.

But yet here we are.

If there was EVER a time to find what you love, it’s NOW. Life is too short to be in a job you hate and living for the weekends alone. Don’t get me wrong, I know that sometimes you have to work a job you don’t necessarily enjoy as a means to an end while working towards what you actually want to do. After all, bills need to be paid and mouths need to be fed, even if it’s just your own, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t sit down and make a proper plan for how you can get into doing what you truly love.

What are you good at? What sets your heart on fire? What does the world need? And what can you make money doing? If you can find something that answers all of these questions then you, my friend, have struck gold. And if you can’t and you don’t have answers to these questions yet, that’s okay too! Ask the people around you what you’re good at! You’d be surprised how many people only realised their purpose and potential after speaking to their closest friends and family. But first and foremost (speaking to my fellow believers in Christ now), ask the Lord and watch Him show you what He has planned for you and direct your path.

So these are the 5 things that we should take from this…experience shall we call it (can you tell I’m trying to avoid using the ‘p’ word again?)

I’d love to know which of these 5 things resonated with you the most and whether there’s anything you would add to this list. Let me know in the comments down below and thank you so much for reading.

If you made it to the end of this post, you’re a real one! I see you and I appreciate you (check me out, demonstrating point 3 in action :P)

Tee

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