COVID fitness: Where did you land?
I heard that we are all in the same boat.
But it’s not that.
We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat …..
We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different. And each one will emerge, in his own way, from that storm …..
We are on different ships looking to survive.
Let everyone navigate their route with respect, empathy and responsibility.
Excerpts from a poem written by Damian Barr in reference to the various ways people are affected by the lockdown during the COVID pandemic.
Even within our relatively safe North Shore bubble, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected each of us in profoundly different ways: mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally.
Many people found lockdown a fantastic opportunity to focus on their health and fitness. Others had a much tougher journey taking care of themselves throughout the pandemic. As the opening poem so beautifully states, although we were in the same storm, we were all in very different boats. Emerging from lockdown, where you now find yourself in your health and fitness journey depends on a number of factors.
Postcode
Where you live has never had a greater impact on our lives than during these past two years. What outdoor space you could access within a 5km radius of your house became of incredible importance, as well as the facilities you had available to you within your home. Living near the beach offered the opportunity to go for walks and runs along the sand, or dive into the water for a swim. Those of us surrounded by bushland got to know every little trail and creek within a 5km radius, and local rivers were filled with kayakers and paddle boarders. You may be lucky enough to live in an area where there are parks on every corner or have a house with a backyard and maybe also a basketball hoop, trampoline or pool. Or you may live in a built-up area on a busy street that’s not as conducive to outdoor exercise, or in an LGA that had restricted outdoor time. We were in the same storm, but not the same postcode.
Work / home situation
With so many people working from home, our incidental exercise was greatly reduced. Walking to and from the kitchen doesn’t quite rack up the kilometres you achieve in your usual day walking to and from the train station, heading out to grab a sandwich at lunch, or moving between meeting rooms. Many had to deal with the loss of jobs and income, which can hugely affect your motivation and mental health. Others found themselves busier than ever and there was no time left to exercise. And then there was homeschooling … for many parents, having to sit by their children’s sides while they got through the school day took an incredible amount of patience and energy, leaving nothing left for themselves. Others with older children who were self sufficient may have had more time to spare without the countless after school activities, so were able to step the exercise program up a notch. Some people enjoyed more time at home, others felt stressed and hemmed in. We were in the same storm, but not the same work or home situation.
The type of exercise you enjoy
Having worked in the fitness industry now for almost 30 years (thank you for asking and yes, I started working in gyms when I was 5, hehe) the one thing I know for sure is that there is not one particular exercise that suits every body. Some people love training outdoors, while others love working out in a gym. Some people are very happy training by themselves, while others need to be with a friend or in a group. I know many of you loved the online program and enjoyed being able to do the classes in the comfort of your own home at any time of day or night. Others just don’t enjoy online training at all, and need to be exercising outside in our beautiful park with friends and fellow Fit My Day members. Who you are and what you enjoy will have had a great impact on your fitness and health over these past couple of years. We were in the same storm, but did not (and still do not) enjoy the same activities.
Wherever you have you landed in your fitness journey during these past two years, there is a way forward.
These are just some of the many factors which will have impacted your current health and fitness status. For those of you who are feeling fit and strong, awesome job and keep it up! For those of you who have struggled to keep your fitness on track, please don’t worry. Things will settle, kids will be back at school, routines will resume. The thing I am completely confident of is that you can always come back from wherever you are at. Gather your support crew around you. Decide on one small change you can make each day and do it. Be kind to yourself but also be determined. Wherever you are at today you can make a change for tomorrow.
By Angie Black
ANGIE BLACK
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