The workout work-around

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/11/2020 (2107 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whether you were a morning gym rat, an evening runner or a lunchtime boot camper, chances are, if you had a workout schedule pre-COVID-19, that structure is now likely out the window.

With 2020 turned upside down, including closed gyms and record-high anxiety and stress levels, you may feel totally exhausted. Some of your initial workout motivation may be tapering off, too.

First, know that it’s completely normal if you don’t have the motivation to work out. Sometimes, the key to maintaining your mental health lies precisely in not forcing yourself to accomplish things. Productivity what?

The thing is, we thrive on routine — and quarantine has shaken up our everyday health habits. So it can be tough to figure out how to adapt or create an alternative. Yes, our regular gym schedules don’t exist right now but that doesn’t mean we can’t create new routines with similar elements to find some comfort.

Stacy Cardigan Smith says keeping some sense of routine — no matter how different it looks — has been key to her keeping active throughout the pandemic.

“I try to stick to a routine and get (a workout) done first thing, if I can,” she says. “We’re lucky because (our kids’) school and daycare is close. So, in the morning we all walk to school and then I take the dog for a longer walk. Once I get home, even if it’s 15 or 20 minutes, I’ll do yoga or a body weight strength class through my Peloton app.”

Back in July, Smith and her family got a puppy named Murdoch (Murray for short.) Not only has he been an energy-booster for her kids but he’s been rewarding for Smith, too.

“During the day, because I’m working remotely at home in a small room, there’s not a lot of reason for me to get up,” she says. “So when my energy plummets, having our dog has been beneficial. I get up and force myself to go for a 20-minute walk with him.”

Prior to the pandemic, Smith and her family led an active lifestyle, including a YMCA membership (which is now on hold) and went swimming every weekend. Her daughter took gymnastics and her son practised taekwondo.

“Luckily with (my son’s) taekwondo class, they’ve been able to deliver it via Zoom twice a week and he does it in our living room,” Smith says. “I am so impressed at the quality of the instruction and how they’ve been able to pivot to keep that going for the kids.”

Smith’s daughter, Greta, 8, has always loved keeping busy but since her gymnastics classes have been cancelled, she’s been doing workout classes with her mom.

“Lately, she and I will do Peloton yoga classes through the app,” she says. “A lot of our activity also involves going for walks with our dog and keeping active that way.”

Chinwe Asagwara, a certified personal trainer and registered dietitian, says part of keeping up that motivation is first acknowledging that it’s been a hard year with lots of ongoing change and uncertainty.

“For gym-goers, having a space to go to was a catalyst. The anticipation, the community, the sights and sounds of the gym — all of these things create motivation and excitement,” says Asagwara. “So now, with a shift to working out at home — not by your own choice — it makes sense that there will be a lack of motivation.”

While working out at home, Smith tries to reframe what physical activity looks like — exercise doesn’t have to mean a full-fledged sweat session.

“I used to feel like it was only a workout if I was giving it my all at the gym, but that changed the intention behind the workout. Instead of something that I was enjoying, it would be something that I had to do,” she says. “I try to find the joy in being active, whether that’s a walk with the dog or dancing with the kids. Similarly, with the kids, we remind them that if they’re feeling ‘blah’ it’s probably time for some fresh air. Our bodies are meant to move.”

If you’re feeling like you want to kickstart your motivation, you might need to get a bit creative.

Asagwara says to include external sources of motivation to help you stay consistent, like signing up for a virtual workout class to create a non-negotiable appointment with yourself. Get a friend involved to be a virtual workout buddy and be sure to pick an activity you enjoy doing — it’s hard to be motivated to do something you’re not looking forward to.

Setting up a workout space at home isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially if you live in a small space. Smith and her family recently purchased a spin bike. It arrives soon but she’s not quite sure where she’s going to put it.

“Our house is pretty small. Right now, my office is in a back room that’s our laundry room/walk-in closet. That might end up being my office-laundry-closet-workout space. We’ll make it work,” she says with a laugh.

The pandemic has likely forced many of us to re-evaluate our home set-up.

“We live in the West End and we love it. It’s a fantastic community and it’s close to everything,” she says. “There’s nothing like a pandemic to make you realize the space that you would like isn’t necessarily what you need. You make do with what you have.”

For many of us, a barrier to exercising at home is the notion that home is a place to relax, not sweat.

“To overcome this, I suggest creating a space in your home that gives you that ‘going to the gym’ feeling,” Asagwara says. “Pick one space and keep your equipment, music and workout shoes there.”

She says a sure-fire way to set yourself up for success is to choose a realistic time to work out that fits your lifestyle — in the morning before work, when your kids are napping, over your lunch break or once everyone has gone to bed — just pick a time that you can stick to.

And physical activity doesn’t have to be long or complicated.

“Walking is a simple and effective way to be active. Those with access to safe walking spaces can simply lace up their shoes and head outside for a physically distanced walk,” Asagwara says. “If you live in an apartment or condo, challenge yourself to walking a few flights of stairs throughout your week.”

The pandemic also means that a lot of everyday mental-health resources are unavailable — no hugging your friends, playing sports or in-person social interactions. Exercise is even more important when you don’t have real-life ways to improve your mental health. So, shift your mindset. Instead of forcing yourself to exercise because you think it’s “bad” if you don’t, try moving your body to release some endorphins and sync your physical and mental needs together.

If you’re typically an active person, you may be looking for a way to keep up that same exercise routine despite logistical challenges — and when you can’t get there, you may start to feel guilty or that you’re failing somehow.

But if you hit pause on those feelings, you’ll remember you’re in the middle of a global pandemic, our health-care workers are overburdened, people are losing their jobs, parents are home-schooling kids, people who live alone are feeling more isolated than ever, and anxiety and depression are peaking everywhere. All of this is more than enough to turn anyone’s routine upside down, workout or otherwise. And with so much at stake, keeping that schedule may not be a top priority for many people right now.

“It’s important that each person give themselves space to allow their exercise routine to look and feel different, so that exercise can remain a positive experience during a very stressful time,” Asagwara says.

You can’t put 100 per cent effort into 100 per cent of the things in your life 100 per cent of the time. It’s simply not possible or healthy. And with the lockdown creating so much more stress, it makes sense that the energy you’re putting in to keep your head above water might be taking energy away from your workouts.

Although we’re experiencing many uncertainties, it doesn’t have to mean that motivation and energy are out of reach. Taking a bit of control back into your life will allow you to find those (small) bursts of motivation and take on each day in the best way possible.

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@SabrinaCsays