Covid-19: How People Have Been Trying to Stay Fit During Lockdown
The outbreak of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns and quarantines put in place all over the world lead to a very new, and often worrying, reality for everyone. Things that we suddenly took for granted such as a walk in the local park, going shopping or even meeting up with friends and family were all suddenly things that were prohibited.
Though over the past month the restrictions have started to ease up slightly, there are some lots of places around the world where things are still in lockdown mode.
Even though some places such as gyms are still shut, or operating at a much reduced capacity, there are still ways that people are keeping in shape. One of the most popular is by following an online training session such as an at home MMA workout, pilates for over 60s, or something for youngsters to burn off their unlimited energy.
The Start of the Lockdown
No one knows what the new normal will be, and the past few months of lockdown have shown that though it is a difficult scenario and one that no one is happy about, everyone has managed to follow the rules and have helped to stop the spread of the virus.
Along with places such as restaurants, museums, cinemas and many shops, another thing that was closed to the public were gyms and other places of sports. This was something that affected a lot of people all over the world from professional athletes to individuals who were just going to the gym to work out for 30 minutes on the treadmill.
Sporting events all over the world were cancelled or postponed, such as the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo being rescheduled for 2021, as well as football across Europe, horse riding, athletics and much more. It is only just now that some professional sports have started being played again, but to empty stadiums, with crowds not yet allowed back to watch the action live.
Staying Fit during lockdown
The closure of gyms during lockdown meant that a lot of professional athletes from football stars to wrestlers had to find ways to stay fit and in shape. Many professional athletes were able to continue training, albeit in much smaller groups, and use the facilities at their sports clubs.
Other athletes were able to train on their own, and many took to enjoying runs outside where they were allowed. Some others also trained and kept fit with their own gym and equipment at home, such are the luxuries awarded to professional athletes.
For semi-professional and amateurs, keeping in shape was a little harder, and they had to come up with their own ways of managing their fitness. Some sports are based on one to one contact with other competitors, so staying in shape for boxers, mixed martial arts and wrestlers was a little more tricky.
Finding ways to stay in shape
Close contact with other people was prohibited in many countries all around the world, and even today, many months after the initial lockdown, people are still only allowed to be in small groups. Those athletes, whose sport revolves around sparring and connecting with others, had to find alternative ways to continue to train and not lose their sharpness of abilities due to the lockdown.
Lots of people turned to online training, with their trainers providing live or pre-recorded training sessions for them to follow. Others simply followed their training routine as much as possible without the aid of various equipment of facilities.
What Professionals are doing to keep fit
Fabian Edwards is a mixed martial arts fighter who is based in the United Kingdom, and one of the professionals whose training regimes was literally turned upside down to the outbreak of Coronavirus and the pandemic that followed across the globe.
He has been able to stay in shape during the lockdown by taking long runs several times a week in his hometown of Birmingham. Along with his brother Leon, who is also a professional MMA fighter, he has been doing a lot of training in his garage, taking part in various circuit and weight training sessions.
In addition to these workouts, he has also been keeping his skills toned by shadow boxing, which is something you can do anywhere in the house, as long as you have a little space and don’t risk punching the furniture of shelves.
As with other professional athletes, he has purchased various equipment that he has set up in his home such as a pull up bar, which is great for an upper body workout.
Though this has been a unique experience for everyone around the world, the lockdown has not sapped the spirit out of everyone, and those whose professional careers are formed on being in top condition and great shape, there have been ways to keep training and maintaining their workouts, even without access to the local gym or sports clubs.
Where there is a will, there is a way, and people all over the world are finding this out, and more and more people are adapting to their new environment, rather than simply waiting for things to return back to normal and for Covid-19 to be firmly under control, which as everyone knows, may never actually happen.
