As the pandemic sluggishly slows down with vaccine rollouts, and restrictions are eased all over the world, we’ve all come out of hiding. While most of my friends and co-workers seemed to put on a few pounds (not judging), I went the opposite direction and got in shape. Here’s everything I did to make the most of staying at home last year, from workouts without a gym to getting myself a portable hot tub.
I Learned To Cook
Most people who learned to cook during the pandemic also ate a ton of food. The thing is, I made it a point to learn how to cook balanced meals. I did my research and figured out the correct portion sizes, and even dabbled in a bit of meal prep. Yes, I didn’t need to prepare my meals in advance because I was home anyway. But, it freed up a lot of time and made sure I stayed within reasonable portion sizes. Can I also mention that cooking your own food makes you appreciate it more?
Home Workouts Aren’t All That Bad
Gyms in my area were closed down, and I was never really a gym rat. But I decided that I was going to do something useful with my time, so I discovered that there’s a wealth of knowledge on YouTube. There are literally millions of fitness video tutorials. It took some time before I figured out which workouts I liked enough to do everyday, and which ones were above my fitness level. Here’s my advice: be honest with yourself. If you can’t handle the workout, move on to something more suitable. You can always get back to the advanced workouts when you are more fit and able to do the entire workout without feeling like you’re about to die.
Relaxing In a Hot Tub Kept Me Going
Whenever I began a workout plan before, I would always give up once I reached the ever-dreaded leg day. I’d convince myself I needed a break for my sore muscles, and never get back on track. That is why I decided to invest in those small hot tubs that are sold online and need almost no skills to set up. A quick 30 minute soak in the hot, bubbly water provided my sore muscles the relief they needed to keep going. It was also a relaxing experience that helped me improve my sleep quality. That helped me deal with the lockdown better, as I avoided the “late night binging in front of the TV” stage that many of my friends went through.
Overall, it wasn’t difficult to get in shape during the pandemic. It did, however, take some will power. I know very well how hard it is to resist the urge to give up on everything when the world seems like it is falling apart. I don’t blame anyone who couldn’t cope well with lockdowns, and I advise people to put some effort in making the most of the cards we were dealt, however bad they were.
