For many of us, being holed up at home has meant little in the way of lockdown exercises, while balanced diets have gone out the window, replaced by ever-earlier gulps of Furlough Merlot, slumped on the lounge binging the latest Netflix series with a bowl of creamy, panic-bought pasta.
So suddenly returning to your day job can be an intimidating prospect. If it’s making you feel anxious, BIBO has found some fun activities that prove getting back in shape and feeling great is no sweat! Well, maybe a little sweat…
1. ease your way back in
Launching straight into Ninja Warrior mode from Day 1 will lead to pulled muscles, a strained back and even more sofa-based days as you recover. It can also be demoralising as you realise just how unfit you’ve become. “Doing too much too soon can overwhelm you mentally,” says personal trainer Kellie Sikorski. “It may feel like too much to deal with and make you feel defeated.”
In the first few days especially, spend several minutes on gentle stretches before moving onto lockdown exercises. There are some great warm up routines you can try.
2. exercise in the morning
Willpower is like a muscle, and gets weaker as the day goes on. “People tend to get worn out,” says Aussie researcher and expert in behaviour change David Neal. By the time they’ve had lunch “they’ve kind of used up their daily quota of self-control, so they have less of it at critical moments”
Another reason is that exercising in the evening can disrupt sleep. One study found you’re far less likely to exercise if you’ve slept badly.
3. burn through the chores!
If your gym has reopened that’s great, but a 45-minute workout takes a two-hour chunk out of your day by the time you’ve parked the car, waited for a spin class to start and had a natter in the changing room. And then, when you’re home, you might be facing an hour of housework.
So why not combine them for a routine of lockdown exercises?
An hour of rigorous housework can burn the same number of calories as a cardio session, and frees you up for either quality family time or finding a place to hide from the family with a good book.
Hanging out washing, scrubbing floors and making beds are great lockdown exercises and can use up 400 calories in less than an hour – that’s more than a Big Mac!
4. 15 minutes of gain
Shifting the Covid-9kg doesn’t have to mean an hour of panting around the park trying (and failing) to socially distance from other joggers. Many studies have found that just 10-15 minutes of exercise is enough, and it can be done in the comfort of your home.
So crank up the Beyoncé and figure out a daily routine that works for you.
- It could be briskly walking up and down the stairs a few times followed by some serious dancing with the kids.
- Work in resistance exercises to strengthen muscles and improve mobility.
- Try squats or sit-to-stands leaning on an armchair followed by some push-ups against the kitchen counter.
- Who needs dumbbells when you have bags of rice, tins of soup or milk bottles filled with water? This is a great 10-minute home workout to get you moving.
Remember it’s vital to drink plenty of water during and after lockdown exercises. A glass or two of instant chilled and purified water from your BIBO Water Bar will be very welcome. You can even rent one for your home or office.
work it at work!
- Park your car a 10 minute walk away from your office.
- Instead of emailing, walk over to the person to deliver a message.
- Put three 10-minute stair walks in your calendar.
- Suggest walking meetings outside.
- Invest in a standing desk for less than $150.
And having a BIBO Water Bar at work means no loitering in the cramped office kitchen waiting forever for the kettle to boil! Check out our latest amazing special offer here.
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