Matt Lister
Stuck at home and missing your usual fitness routine? It’s important to stay active, for both your mental and physical health — Matt Lister’s here to help
These are trying times for us all — who’d have thought our homes would become our entire universe for the foreseeable future? The gym is a no- go zone and we’re trapped inside going a little stir- crazy, eating everything in sight out of boredom and staring out of our windows like an indoor cat desperate to discover the outside world.
Some comfort comes from knowing we are all in the same boat, but now that you can’t go to the gym and your daily routine is out of whack, don’t let your hard work go to waste.
Keeping fi t and healthy will help you get through this period — so embrace your inner Jane Fonda and watch out for carpet burns! Here are some tips to help you out.
HOME- GROWN GAINS
The gym may be off - limits for the time being, but we can still work out from home. For this, the internet is your best friend, and there are endless workouts to follow on YouTube for free ( just try not to get jealous when you see them fi lming in a gym). There are HIIT, yoga, Pilates, resistance band, step aerobics and abs routines, and even weights alternatives. The digital world is your oyster!
NO EQUIPMENT, NO PROBLEM
You may not have access to your gym’s range of weights and machines, but I’ve noticed people online getting creative, heaving crates of water bottles to get a bit of weight behind their squats and lunges, using trusty packs of tins for arms work and even deadlifting furniture… Take a look around your home: if it’s heavy, yet safe to use, easy enough to grip and looks like it could do the job, give it a go. If you’re struggling for cardio equipment, sack off the stepper for a set of stairs, or get skipping in the garden ( or just outside your front door). No skipping rope? Just pretend! I’m not kidding: jumping on the spot for reps is basically all it is, and you’ll reap the same benefi ts.
SNACK ATTACK
Perhaps the most important tip of all to heed while you’re housebound is to avoid temptation. The constant beckoning from the cupboards and the fridge can result in endless snacking throughout the day. This can be a bitch to keep at bay, but it’s often boredom rather than hunger that brings on the munchies. Keeping yourself occupied and entertained is key, as is stocking up on healthy snacks for when the nibbles strike. One of the beauties of needing to stay at home is that you have plenty of time to get adventurous with recipes, to try new things and to challenge yourself ( and your partner/ housemates) to create something delicious and nutritious with what you have to hand.
During the diff icult days ahead, it’s important that we keep our spirits up and have fun. We’re in this together and we’re coming out the other side together, too, where there’ll be one big fi esta waiting! Until then, keep calm and carry on your health and fi tness regime at home. Keep in touch with what’s working for you — I’m @ mrmattlister on socials.
“Sack off the
stepper for a set
of stairs”