Lockdown: It’s time to stay fit at home

Lockdown: It’s time to stay fit at home. The government has announced new measures to contain the spread of coronavirus which include telling people to stay safe at home. With gyms closed and events cancelled, many of us will be exercising at home in the coming weeks.
 

 

High-tech options

If you're lucky enough to have access to some high-tech equipment, now's the time to take full advantage. You might want to try a video game like BoxVR - a boxing-inspired workout that places you in a virtual gym. Or, if you have a treadmill or exercise bike, virtual reality app Zwift will gamify your indoor training session, making it vastly more fun.

For those who have the money and the space, it's possible to set up a small home gym with only a few key pieces of equipment.

"Things like a rack and adjustable bench, along with some barbells, dumbbells and weight plates, are incredibly versatile," says Elliott Upton, head of LiveUP Online Coaching at Ultimate Performance. "You can do infinite variations of squats, deadlifts, pushes, presses and rows with these. The same can be said for the dual adjustable cable pulley machine. There's pretty much nothing you can't do with that."

Low-impact exercise

If you prefer something lower-impact (or don't want to disturb the neighbours), now's the time to roll out a mat or towel and try some yoga or Pilates. You could also opt for a 'non-aggressive, high burn' workout like the GS Method, or a functional body-weight workout like Animal Flow. 

"Just because you're at home doesn't mean you can't access a plethora of yoga videos, fitness routines and meditations," says personal trainer Roxy Danae. "Walking meditations are ideal and can be done in your house. Put your earphones in, concentrate on your chosen guided meditation and get your steps in whilst you do it."

If you're feeling sad about having to miss your usual class, it's worth checking in with your favourite teacher or studio, to see if they're continuing their scheduling online. To cite just one example, MoreYoga, London’s largest independent yoga studio chain, has started offering free classes on its YouTube channel (as well as additional classes for members). The idea is to maintain connection and community during this time of social distancing.

Staying motivated

Of course, even with the best of intentions, you may find your motivation flagging from time to time. You probably just want things to go back to normal, rather than trying to clear a patch of space in your living room for the thirteenth day in a row.

Setting goals

For this reason, it's important to set goals, big and small, and to schedule your workouts. Routine is important here. Elliott Upton advises planning your workouts for the first thing in the morning, so you can get them out the way before the day's distractions kick in, while Vicki Anstey suggests setting an alarm for two-hour intervals.

"Set yourself a 20-minute movement session three times a day - this will help break the day up and make limited resources go further!" she says. "Go up and down the stairs, use a box or ledge to perform step-ups, etc."

Maintaining fitness

She adds that it takes about seven to 14 days for your aerobic fitness to start declining. This means taking a few weeks out of your running schedule, for instance, won't have much long-term effect.

"What you lose initially is mostly the gains that you've made in the last several months of training," she says. "If you've been a lifelong runner, you will retain much of your aerobic fitness for several months."

Chloe Twist suggests that, if you're anxious about losing fitness, it might be worth tracking your progress in a fitness journal or fitness app. Some apps have the added advantage of a virtual community, who can hold you accountable and keep you on track.

"A fitness app will give you solid evidence to refer back to when you're doubting your progress, and you won't succumb to negative thoughts that could prevent you from exercising altogether," she says.

Positive thinking

Finally, if ever there was a time to apply the power of positive thinking, this is it. David Wiener suggests reframing the situation - seeing it less as a blow to your fitness, and more as a chance to switch things up and progress.

"Don't be disheartened if you can't continue with your current fitness regime, or a race or event that you've been training for has been cancelled," he says. "In this day and age there are tons of options and resources to work out from home, so rather than taking a negative view of the situation when it comes to maintaining your fitness levels, see it as a motivating challenge and a chance to switch things up and progress."

 

Need to extend your visa?

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the visa extension method without leaving Vietnam is a safe option for foreign visitors, because they can:

avoid the risk of being infected by a virus due to going to a crowd and the risk of being banned from re-entry to Vietnam if you depart or transit through one of the areas infected with the virus.

Request for visa extension / re-issuance in Vietnam

To extend / re-issue Vietnam visa, please ensure your original passport:

• valid for at least 06 months from the time of renewal / reissue

• There are at least 02 blank pages .

 

To apply for a visa extension in Vietnam, please send a scan of your passport and visa page via email: [email protected] for extension. Feel free to contact us at +84.899.33.12.12 or email us at [email protected]. Our address: No. 88 Xa Dan Street, Phuong Lien Ward, Dong Da Dist, Hanoi, Vietnam