Live: Staying active at home

With the UK plunged into a lockdown, gyms closing and working from home becoming the new norm, its clear that life for the foreseeable future is changing. But while our lives are being disrupted in many ways, it’s important that we commit to maintaining our health. Paul Alexander, founder of elite: shares tips for staying active in your home

Digital workouts

Digital workouts are one of the most effective ways to introduce some routine to your days – and ensure your motivation doesn’t waiver. When you wake up with another unstructured day ahead, getting straight into your workout clothes and following along with a digital HIIT class can be the perfect way to get yourself primed for a productive day ahead, whilst a lunchtime yoga class might help you to take a mental step back.

It’s a great idea to dedicate a specific area of your space to exercising. Just like not working from bed to ensure our brains continue to associate our beds with sleep, pick a space as your dedicated workout area – it will become second nature to use it once or twice a day.

One-to-one online support

Working with a trainer or coach can help you stay on track and continue to push yourself to work hard. Work with your trainer to create an exercise and meal plan that is sustainable for you right now. Remember – it’s okay for your habits to adjust as your lifestyle changes. Working with your personal trainer online will make sure you keep yourself aligned to your goals, and help you adjust.

Mindset training

Taking care of your body will help you to continue feeling great. But taking care of your mind too will ensure you can bring your full energised self to your day.

Try taking 5-10 minutes to practice some form of mindfulness, whether that is meditation, a short yoga flow or even eating mindfully! A good mindset is a vital foundation for fitness success and will help you push your results further.

Keep it consistent

The key to reaching your goals during challenging times is consistency. Try to create a healthy lifestyle that works around your current day-to-day life, be it morning yoga, a lunchtime walk or HIIT session, try to take at least one form of exercise a day. You might find it helpful to plan out some creative and healthy meals in advance to make sure you’re keeping your body and mind well.

Sleep

Even in normal life, quality sleep is vital, but with most of us experiencing added stress it’s important now more than ever. Aim for 6-8 hours and keep a regular sleep pattern, waking up at around the same time every day. Making sure you’re getting good-quality sleep will give your body the best chance at recovery from your home workouts, and keep your mind focused throughout the day.

Hopefully these tips will make your fitness journey easier to continue through challenging times. For further information about elite: programmes visit – www.elitetogether.com.