The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Dundee dance teacher Lisa Henderson hasn’t let lockdown stop her from saying ‘hay’ to her students, as she has begun streaming online dance lessons from a slightly unconventional studio – her parents’ barn. Picture by Steve Brown.
J theanuary is a month often associated with fitness and wellbeing as people try to start year positively after overindulging over the festive period. With gyms closed and group activities cancelled, we look at how people have adapted their approach to fitness and wellbeing during lockdown.
Andrew Ferguson from Lindores has spent the last year adapting his training to make more use of his home and surrounding outdoor areas. When lockdown began, Andrew started working from home. A keen triathlete, he was excited to realise he had an extra 90 minutes per day, which would normally be spent on his commute, to dedicate to exercise.
“When lockdown hit I found myself using the options on my doorstep; trail runs, hillwalking, road running, mountain biking and cycling,” he said.
“I enjoy the exercise for my own mental wellbeing and as a way to get out the house after a long day working at home on Zoom!”
Now training for a marathon, Andrew wanted to do some strength work to help prevent injuries. He decided to buy some exercise equipment to use at home.
He said: “For the home gym it isn’t about spending lots of money: a skipping rope and a heavy object can be all you need to do a session in your front room.
“This also meant being able to do some workouts with my wife and daughter.”
Lisa Henderson, a dance teacher from Dundee, has been using the barn on her family’s farm to stream online dance lessons. Before coronavirus, Lisa hired community halls and the Mayfield Sports Centre to do her classes but has had to adapt to ensure she complies with the restrictions.
“Back in March I held online dance classes through Facebook from home as all my usual halls that I hired were closed,” she said.
“As restrictions eased in June, I was lucky enough to hold a number of sociallydistanced dance classes of up to five children in the barn on our farm during the school holidays.”
Determined to keep her dancers active and learning during lockdown, Lisa is now back to teaching online classes in the barn using her phone and a tripod.
“You can forget any worries going on in the real world and get lost in the music,” she said.
“There is nothing better if you are feeling down than putting on a bouncy energetic song and dancing along. Your mood is instantly lifted.”
Ruth Mcgowan, from Colinsburgh, took up wild swimming last summer. Introduced to it by friends, she was hooked in the first week.
“It makes me feel invigorated, daring, youthful and free,” said Ruth.
“I swim as often as I can. I have four children, so sometimes I miss a day or two but it’s wonderful to know I could go every day if I wanted to.
“Coronavirus restrictions have prompted me to get creative with how I enjoy life. I never would have thought I’d be getting into the sea in January but it’s the most fun and exciting thing we can do without breaking any rules.”
Ruth normally swims with around 30 regular companions, but due to the current restrictions they are not allowed to meet as a group. She has however, noticed an increase in the number of wild swimmers, believing it’s become the “in” thing to do.
For those thinking of taking up wild swimming, Ruth has the following advice: “Stay safe and start slowly, cold-shock can kill. Practising with cold showers is a safe way to prepare your body. I began in August, so my body has had time to get used to swimming in cold water. Never go alone, especially if you’re just starting out.”
Yoga teacher Sandy Mcdougall from Newport has been providing online lessons for her clients. Initially she could still lead an in-person class adhering to social-distancing and health and safety protocols. As stricter restrictions emerged she knew she would have to resort to teaching online.
She said: “The task here was overcoming technical barriers, relying purely on my voice for client adjustments and also, as you cannot walk around to see your clients from every angle from a laptop, being mindful of what you can
and, importantly, cannot see – ensuring teaching cues are super clear for a safe practice.”
It has been a progression of changes for Sandy as the tiers became more restricted. Despite this, she has found her clients to be incredibly supportive and a real sense of community in her regular online classes.
“I know from clients and my own experience that yoga offers many wonderful benefits,” she said.
“From the physical (such as improved strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance) to the wider changes that can result from your practice especially over time. From feeling calmer, more relaxed to a real sense of reset and slowing down our
active minds. Yoga offers a moment of calm and peace which can be so helpful when faced with uncertainty.”
Cyclist Jim Kerr from Auchterarder has taken up indoor cycling. Before Covid, he enjoyed cycling around the Scottish countryside, often as part of a group. Since the restrictions he has had to find an alternative.
Jim said: “I knew of the digital platform option for a few years but I must confess to being a bit of a sceptic. I was keen to ‘get out there’ irrespective of the weather.
“I normally do around 10,000km per year and was out on my bike in all conditions.”
The current restrictions
and the looming winter weather prompted Jim to invest in the digital option at the end of the summer. Since then he’s ridden around 4,000 “digital” kilometres.
“I’ve joined a great club too, Zwift Scotland, which I’d highly recommend,” he said.
“It’s is a really welcoming and friendly club where people can virtually meet up on the platform and ride, race, do lots of different courses, have a good old chat and… cycle
“There are also options for the more serious, faster riders, too. It’s a great workout and a terrific de-stresser. Given it’s in my own home too, it’s very convenient. Considering Zwift is a global platform,
there is always something going on at your level.”
Blair Smith, a personal trainer from Dundee, would normally be busy running 30-35 personal training sessions per week from the gym at the Stack Leisure Park. The closure of gyms and inability to do face-to-face training has had a massive impact on his business. The current restrictions allow him to do outdoor, socially-distanced, one-to-one training. He also provides live and prerecorded classes.
“It has made me a better coach by forcing me to be adaptable and get a bit more creative with programming,” said Blair.
“I’ve also enjoyed being able to get outside and away from the confines of the gym, and this is something that I will definitely incorporate going forward.”
Adapting his services, he now provides a client app where they can access their own tailored home workouts, as well as a selection of nutrition and training resources.
“Just because you can’t go to the gym doesn’t mean that you can’t exercise and get fitter,” he said.
“The best advice I can give is find something that you enjoy and schedule it into your day.
“That can mean bodyweight and resistance band workouts from home or simply going for a walk.
“If you enjoy it, you will find it easier to maintain it.”