Lockdown fitness: Six quick tips for staying motivated

In these uncertain times, you may be feeling down on motivation, causing you to exercise less. So, what can you do to get back your mojo and stay active during COVID-19? Here are some tips from the team at URBANFITNESS London to help.

  • Stick to your schedule 

Don’t let social distancing stop you from keeping to your normal daily routine. If you’re able to – kids, work, and pets permitting – schedule your day as you usually would. Perform your workout at the regular time, plan in your meals, wake up and go to bed at the same time, and perhaps even allow yourself an hour or two for mental wellbeing tasks. Focusing on existing habits is much easier than creating new ones and this will help you to stay motivated.

  • Set yourself new challenges

Whether it’s completing a task that’s been hanging around for ages or setting new challenges – fitness related or otherwise – this will give you something to aim for, keeping those motivation levels topped up. Could you smash your PB for press-ups or paint your garden fence? Remember that everyday tasks like tidying the house, walking the dog, or mowing the lawn all count as NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and are a great way for burning those extra calories without even thinking about it. Cleaning up your home can also help to clear your mind – contributing to your mental wellbeing – so make a list of those odd jobs and get cracking! As human beings we crave a sense of accomplishment each day so ensure you can quantify completed tasks where possible.

  • Take time to reflect

In testing times – when life becomes more pressured – it’s easy to slip into a negative mindset, so try to make time in your day to reflect on what you have to be grateful for (friends, family, good health etc.) and what you’ve achieved (at work, in fitness, and in life). This will also help to remind you of the reasons why you’re trying to stay healthy and active, boosting your motivation.  

  • Connect with friends and family

Having a good natter with friends and family can be a great way to lift our spirits. When we’re feeling low on motivation, they can often be the people to help pick us back up. So, why not Facetime or set up regular video calls with those closest to you through platforms such as Zoom? Use the power of technology to eat lunch together, drink coffee together, and exercise together! What’s more, why not create some friendly competition within your group. Set each other daily fitness challenges to complete. For example, who can do the most burpees in one minute? Not only will this make you more motivated to work out, but it will also provide some lighthearted fun to help you through these difficult days.

  • Go virtual!

It’s not just the likes of Joe Wicks and Tyson Fury who have gone digital, several clubs including us at URBANFITNESS London are offering virtual fitness classes, either live or recorded, to keep our members active and motivated during the lockdown. So, even though you can’t access the clubs right now, you can still access our community, benefitting from the ‘pack motivation’ that comes from working out in groups. You should definitely try some of the home workouts our fitness team are posting. Also, we have an awesome 60-day free trial period with Les Mills On Demand for our members which offers a choice of almost 1000 workouts! Going virtual is a great way to stay motivated at home until our clubs re-open. 

  • Re-connect with nature

Make the most of any additional downtime you have by reconnecting with nature. Whether it’s doing an outdoor workout in your garden or heading out around the block for your daily run – as per government guidelines – the extra dose of fresh air and vitamin D from the sun will help you to fight fatigue, re-energize your body, and motivate your mind to remain active. Not only that, research has shown that Vitamin D can help to boost weight loss, while one study found that it has a positive effect on warding off depression – helping to look after your mental health. Vitamin D also helps to keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. So, lap up those rays (safely of course) as much as you can during this period. 

Hopefully, these tips will help to keep your motivation tank topped until we’re through the other side of this pandemic. If you’d like any support or advice from us during this time, we are here to help as always so just drop us a line and we’ll get straight back to you…

@urbanfitnessldn

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