How To Keep Your Shape During Lockdown

Let’s face it, the lockdown is a time when it’s easy to get out of shape. You’re inside all the time, the gyms are closed.

You get bored, frustrated, anxious, so you might grab for an unhealthy snack to keep yourself busy, all while binge-watching your favorite TV shows.

Look, I’m not saying those are bad things, we all need to distract ourselves from time to time.

But if you spend all the lockdown doing just that, the side effects for your health and your body will show up sooner or later.

Keeping healthy, active, is good both for your mental health and for your body. And it’s much easier to do than you might think.

Here are some easy ways to keep your shape during a lockdown.

5 Ways to Keep Your Shape During Lockdown

1. Do Cardio Training Through HIIT

We all know that exercise is key to staying fit. But did you know research shows exercise can help boost your immune system?

Studies found that adults who exercise regularly have fewer upper respiratory tract infections than those who don’t. Also, when they do get sick, they heal much quicker.

While steady-state cardio might be hard if you’re stuck inside and don’t have a stationary bike or a treadmill, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), is a perfect way to get your cardio in.

You don’t need fancy equipment or a lot of space. Bodyweight exercises such as burpees, push-ups, squats, or lunges, can create a perfect short, yet efficient HIIT workout.

2. Start Strength Training

Any good exercise routine should include strength training.

It will not only help you keep your shape but, as you build stronger muscles, you’ll find you have more stability, better bone density, and more endurance.

The best, most basic equipment you need to start a strength training routine is dumbbells.

Adjustable dumbbells are the best because they allow you to advance your strength training, without constantly worrying you need a new set of dumbbells.

Not to mention they take very little space!

If you are stuck in lockdown without any way to get dumbbells, no worries! You can use household items such as bottles filled with water, or even better, sand. Milk jugs are a perfect replacement for kettlebells.

A couple of sturdy chairs or even a coffee table can replace benches.

As you can see, strength training at home is easy. For best results, make sure you alternate strength training with cardio.

Also, try not to work the same muscles two days in a row to give them a chance to repair, grow, and become stronger.

3. Keep Calm and Meditate

Exercising is great, but it is not the only thing you should focus on during a lockdown. Your mental health is just as important.

While working out helps boost endorphins, which in turn boost your mood, having some quiet time can help just as much.

The lockdown is a very stressful time, and many find themselves struggling with symptoms of depression and anxiety more than ever before.

Research shows that meditating even for just 10-15 minutes a day can help improve your mental health.

Not only that, but mindfulness can reduce emotional eating, helping you keep your shape.

4. Follow A Healthy Diet

No matter how much you exercise or meditate, if you don’t eat a healthy diet, the results will not be as visible as you’d like them to.

If you can’t go out and buy fresh produce every day, you might feel it is harder to eat healthily. It’s not!

Start by cooking in batches. Create a meal plan for the entire week and designate a day to do all the cooking.

By doing this, you’ll reduce the temptation to snack and you’ll be more likely to stick to your diet.

Cook foods that are rich in nutrients, and easy to freeze. For instance, soups are a great way to eat tons of veggies.

You can make a large pot once, keep half in the fridge to consume in a couple of days, and freeze the rest.

Speaking of freezing, that’s a great way to always have clean foods on hand. Buy your fresh produce whenever you get your chance and freeze it.

You can even portion it so that next time you want something, you can just get only the quantity you’ll eat.

As you can see, there’s no need to resort to processed foods during a lockdown. Eating a simple diet is the best way to keep your shape and be healthy all the time.

5. Get A Good Night Sleep

Finally, don’t forget to rest. If you’re stuck in the house all the time, it’s easy to mess up your sleeping schedule.

Maybe you need to wake up at a certain time for an online meeting, but even then it is much easier to be ready and “presentable” than it would be if you had to go to work.

Not to mention that sometimes you just have no fixed schedule and can do whatever you want.

A regular sleep schedule is just as important now, during the lockdown, as it was before. Try to go to bed at roughly the same time each day and get up at the same time.

Give your body a downtime from computer and phone screens.

As hard as it is, try to stay away from monitors at least an hour before bed. Meditate, read a book, take a bath.

These will all help you get a good night’s sleep. In turn, this will give you more energy, it will lower anxiety and depression, and it will reduce your cravings for sugar.

The Bottom Line

Staying in shape during a lockdown may feel like an impossible mission. But it’s not!

Exercise such as HIIT and strength training can be done anywhere, anytime. They will not only help you keep your shape, but they’ll also boost your immune system.

Meditation and mindfulness are key to good mental health, as they reduce depression and anxiety and help manage the side effects stress has on the body.

Healthy eating with limited resources is not impossible! A few easy tricks, like cooking in batches and freezing the produce will help you stay on track all the time.

Finally, don’t forget to make sleep a priority. Just because you spend all your day at home, doesn’t mean a regular sleep schedule is less important.

On the contrary, it is essential if you want to feel energized and want to get rid of sugar cravings.

Author Bio
My name is Daniel DeMoss and I’ve packed my knowledge and passion for home gym equipment and bodybuilding into easy to digest educational content at DumbellReviews.com. I save time and money for my dedicated audience by providing clear, concise, and helpful learning resources.