Motivation for Lockdown #3

Now as we are (hopefully) nearing the end of the third lockdown, we are all familiar with the rules and what we can and can’t do. Staying indoors and social distancing to lower the spread of coronavirus means staying at home and being stuck in an unfamiliar routine, and it’s easy to fall into bad habits. As a personal trainer from Aberdeen, I know that it is harder than ever to keep motivated and stick to your goals and resolutions, but I am here to try and help with some lockdown guidance and inspiration.

Exercise during Coronavirus: Tips for Staying Active

Life as we know has changed dramatically since the pandemic started last year, and there is no aspect of our daily lives that hasn’t been touched by it. It’s been a tough year, and it’s not surprising if exercise and fitness was not top of your list last year. However, with no real knowledge of when gyms might be back open again, it’s important that now is the time to think of exercise as part of your routine, and not a chore. Not only is it to keep your fitness up, but it helps to boost your emotional and mental wellbeing as well.

Top Tips to stay on track

• Track your workouts with fitness apps so you can see how far you have come
• Try something new – whether that be Couch to 5K for new runners, yoga to help with mindfulness, or virtual Aberdeen Personal Training, you never know what your new passion could be.
• Get connected – join virtual classes with friends so you have a workout partner
• Keep in touch with your PT Aberdeen – I’m always here to offer support, guidance, or motivation when you need it.
• Reward yourself – it’s normal for the current situation to make people feel frustrated at not being able to stick to their usual routines or exercise. Remember to reward yourself with a little treat like a bubble bath or sitting down and reading a book when you’ve completed your workouts. Building healthy habits now can help you say happy and healthy even when the pandemic is over.

Tips to stay healthy while working from home

As many of us are now working from home due to Coronavirus, it’s more important than ever that you try and stay healthy with all the distractions of homelife. With my experience as a Personal Trainer Aberdeen, I’ve put a list together to make the most of your workday and keep the balance of work, mental health and workout routines.

Stick to a schedule

Plan to start your work at the same time every day and establish healthy boundaries. Just because there is no where to go for your breaks and your lunches, doesn’t mean you should sit in front of your computer for 8 hours a day. Take a short jog round the street or estate when you should have your breaks (socially distancing of course!) and have your lunch in another room, if possible, to break up the day. If you used to go to the gym before or after work, still schedule it in and take a look at the exercise at home tips below.

Avoid strains

Whilst is might seem tempting to sit on your comfy couch all day, it is not particularly good for your posture. Invest in a comfortable, ergonomic chair to keep your spine properly aligned during the day and avoid aches and pains. Or ditch the chair completely and give your back a break and work whilst standing up! It will do wonders for your back.

Prep your meals and keep healthy snacks fully stocked

One of the biggest temptations when working from home is that the fridge is literally walking distance from your new desk. Avoid falling into bad habits and keep only healthy snacks in, and prep and plan your meals so they are healthy and you are not reaching for the easy, often unhealthy options on your lunch break.

Reclaim your focus

These are especially unsettling and unknown times, and its important that you keep your mental health up as well as your physical health up. It is well known that physical activity releases endorphins, which can help lift your mood and combat stress. So even a short workout with some cheap resistance bands during your break could help focus you for the rest of your morning.

Stay in touch with your trainer

If you want to stay on track, the best advice is to work with a coach. Your PT Aberdeen is on hand with help, guidance and motivation to make sure that you stay fit and healthy whilst in lockdown. When it comes to fitness, it’s about you not me!

Top 10 Tips to Stay Fit & Healthy by Chris Roy, The Fitness Trainer

As a Personal Trainer in Aberdeen, I’ve put together a list of top tips to follow to make sure that you maintain a healthy lifestyle, during lockdown and long after. Starting out with new fitness goals is not normally the issue, it’s maintaining your new routines and habits that can be hard. Motivation is key and the list below contains everything you need to reach the next step of your fitness journey.

1. Make every workout count – even when you’ve had a long and busy day, a quick 30 minutes of exercise can make the world of difference to your mood and health. Not every workout needs to be a long session!
2. Maintain a healthy diet – eating right means that you are able to give your body the nutrition it requires, and it is important to take care of your body now to optimise your workout routines
3. Follow healthy sleeping patterns – it is important to recharge your own energy and restore body health
4. Drink more water – our bodies need proper rehydration in order to function properly, so keep drinking throughout the day for it to heal naturally and flush out toxins
5. Plan and prioritise – add workouts into your daily routines and make them a priority rather than an afterthought.
6. Mix it up – speak to us at Aberdeen Personal Training about what workouts will be best for you, and don’t be afraid to change it up to stop it from being boring.
7. Reduce your stress – Stress causes a whole host of problems, from heart issues to digestive trouble. Focus on doing what you love to take a break from stress, whether that be exercise, reading or cooking.
8. Adjust your targets – adjust your goals and targets regularly to build on your progress. There is no point keeping the same running distance or weights when your body is ready for more!
9. Eat Breakfast every day – a good, healthy breakfast starts your day off right. It makes sure you have fuel and energy for the rest of the day and stops you from overindulging later.
10. Consistency – in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is important to have consistency and moderation to get to your end goal. There is no point in going flat out for a month with your workouts and losing the motivation. Slow and steady wins.

Fitness Goals for 2021

If fitness for 2021 is your main goal (especially after the gyms, bootcamps and running clubs have been shut for almost a year) I would definitely recommend Aberdeen Personal Training to give yourself a kickstart. Personal training is all about you and your goals, and I work to create a balanced healthy living routine that is sustainable for long term.

How long does personal training take to work?

If you want to see results from your PT Aberdeen, you should begin to notice a difference between 6 – 12 weeks. However, how fast you start to see results really does depend on a few different factors.

• Your reasons for choosing Aberdeen personal training will determine how frequently you meet, and throughout your meetings we will continue to tweak your exercise programme to suit your lifestyle and keep you moving in the right direction.
• Your current level of fitness – everyone has varying levels of fitness and finding what works for you is important to keep you on track.
• Nutrition and sleep both play an important part in seeing results, your body needs to be rested well and nutritionally boosted.
• Consistency is key – it is not about having good and bad days, but rather adhering to your plan and goal over weeks and months.

It’s more important than ever as we start to think about re-entering normal life that we start to build and focus on goals. Whether that be socialising with friends and family, getting back into a normal work routine again or focusing on your fitness – it’s time to start making plans ready for when we are given the green light.