The One Tip a PT Says Will Keep You Motivated for Your Lockdown Home Workouts

From Women's Health

Each week, we’ll be bringing you the best advice from the WH team’s brand-new podcast, Going for Goal. The show is focused on helping you achieve the health and happiness goals that matter to you, and each week Senior Editor Roisín Dervish-O'Kane interviews leading experts about their secrets to success. This week, here's the nugget taken from the podcast’s ‘Talking Coronavirus’ series: How To Work Out When You're Not Leaving The House.

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As the UK gets used to its one-jog-a-day lockdown and online stores tackle an unprecedented demand for neoprene dumbbells, it’s safe to say home workouts are our new normal for the time being.

But while you may be aware that having a routine that includes exercise is key for protecting your mental health, actually sticking to a plan when you’d rather spend all day in home office gear (read: pyjamas) can be…hard.

Tackling the issue of this misplaced motivation is this week’s episode of Going for Goal, in which we spoke to Laura Hoggins, PT and Head of Brand at Foundry Fitness, author of Lift Yourself and coach at FIIT, about how to stay active when options are limited.

‘I think we have to really pay respect to the impact [self-isolation] will have on people’s mental health as well as physical,’ says Hoggins. ‘I’m all for performance goals and hitting PBs, but fitness for some people is just turning up and feeling like they’ve done their best, or relieving some stress. Now that’s been taken away, it’s hard to know what to do.’

‘Even when we’re not in isolation, not everyone’s going to be motivated all of the time. And now, while we might not have events coming up that we want to look good for, how can we start to shift our focus even more on ‘I’m going to do this for me, because I want to feel good and come out stronger’?’

Luckily, there is a lot that can be done just from your bedroom floor - or outside space, if you’re lucky. Check out the Women’s Health round up of the best home workouts to HIIT up, here.

But how do you keep going with your fitness goals when quitting a class halfway through is as easy as pressing pause?

How Can You Keep up Your Motivation to Work Out While in Isolation?

Hoggins’ advice? To combat any self-isolation loneliness and make sure you stay accountable, make it social.

That’s right, instead of meeting your best yoga buddies for your usual pre-work flow, meet them in the cyber studio, instead.

‘Every day, try to schedule an online workout or something you can look forward to during the day,’ says Hoggins. ‘You can do it with a friend - say you’ll press play at the same time, Facetime each other and do it together.’

If sharing a Google calendar invite still isn’t enough to keep you rolling out your mat each morning, try upping the ante by setting a challenge.

‘Make a peer group and say “Right, today on the hour every hour, we’re going to do this five-minute workout and see how many reps we can do”,’ suggests Hoggins. 'And if we can just focus on how exercise can really help our headspace, the motivation will come.’

What if You’re Missing the Competitive Side of Fitness Classes?

If you’re a class addict mourning the camaraderie and competition you get while sweating it out with others, listen up.

Aside from providing a wealth of workouts to last you from fasted cardio to pre-bed stretches, the Fiit app allows you to work out with a whole class of other members - in real time.

‘There’s a leader board, so if there’s a competitive side of you that pushes you a bit further and helps you feel amazing from trying your best, then perhaps that’s a good option,’ says Hoggins.

‘I can say, having been a part of it, those workouts are fantastic and genuinely you can do them anywhere,’ she continues. ‘You don’t have to be a specific level and there’s some that you don’t even need any equipment.’

Tempted? For this week only, you can get 12 weeks' access to the Women’s Health x Fiit ‘Sweat and Reset’ training programme with a huge 25% discount, here – that's just £3.75 per week. Or if you want to go for an annual Fiit subscription, it’s £120 for the year - only £2.30 per week.

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