With gyms across the state and most of the country closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, how do we go about establishing a new routine? A quarantine routine.

There is no easy answer to that. All I know for sure is that we must keep training.

There will obviously be major changes, but anybody who has joined a gym before or even started working out has already dealt with such changes. Remember what it was like when you first walked into a new gym? I do…

A few months ago I joined the YMCA so I could start swimming. At first, there was a lot of prep time involved in packing a gym back with swim gear, change of clothes, etc. Many times did I forget a towel, lose my goggles or leave my pre/post workout drink on the kitchen table.

It took some time to develop the habit of just getting to the gym, not to mention the workout routine itself! After a couple weeks though, a new norm emerged.

That is essentially what has to happen now.

Although we’re all in this together, everybody is in a unique situation when it comes to where they are at in their fitness journey, what equipment they have available to them and how prepared they are to deal with this pandemic.

How prepared are you?

I don’t mean how many rolls of toilet paper or canned goods you have. I’m talking about how mentally and emotionally prepared you are…

Right now everyone is concerned about their health, their finances, their loved ones, etc. The current state of society has a big fat question mark on it and nobody has all of the answers.

It’s a lot to process. In fact, more than we can handle because so much of it is out of our control.

That is actually an empowering realization – that you can’t control everything – if you can put it in the right perspective. And the right perspective is to just… LET. IT. GO.

Take inventory of all of your concerns and worries, and ask yourself what you can do about each one. If the answer is nothing, then forget it and move onto the next. When you find an area that you can affect positively, then do something about it!

And one area we can all make positive impact on is our health.

Mental Health

There are SO many reasons it’s more important to workout now than ever! First of all, as mentioned, your health. Not just physical either, but mental health. With all of the uncertainty and anxiety we’re facing, yeah, stress relief and mental health is important.

Read this post on Combating Anxiety and Depression with Exercise.

Second, there is no better time to contemplate the things that are, and are not, in your control. I know many people who are used to working out in a group, with music, etc. but now is a great time to unplug and spend some time with your own thoughts (we’re already isolated) while you’re clearing your mind and energizing your body. You will do some of your best thinking while you are working out. Just do a mindless workout like cardio, or something that involves no math, comparison or expectations.

Establish yourself a new quarantine routine.

Expectations

The final point I want to make in this otherwise incoherent post is that you should drop all expectations.

We’re out of our normal routine in almost every sense of the matter. The mental and physical toll this will have on us cannot be measured. So don’t worry about measuring your progress at this point. Don’t worry about getting “good” workouts in or any other detail when it comes to what you do.

Just do something. Anything.

Then do it again. And again.

Consistency over time will become routine and progression will naturally develop out of that routine. There is no need to stress over being out of your routine, because there is something you can do about it! You start yourself a new routine – a quarantine routine!

Now go do it!!!

Be well,

-Dan