Kelsey Heenan, certified personal trainer and leader of the popular fitness brand and app HIIT BURN wants to help you stay in shape during lockdown.
What are the best ways to stay active during this time?
Just move! A lot of people have been stressed without access to their gyms or workout classes, but you can still get in great workouts at home with minimal or no equipment. In addition, it’s important to shift your mindset to viewing fitness with more flexibility for this temporary time in quarantine. You may not have the same equipment or community, so workouts may look different; but, if you switch the focus to doing the best you can with what you have, you’ll feel a lot less stress and more accomplished.Figure out how you can move regularly. Some people have all the time in the world, while others are now slammed between things like trying to homeschool and work from home. Identify how many days per week you can get in a workout or a walk (if you’re able to get outside) so that you can set yourself up for success by planning ahead a little bit.
There are so many online resources for great at-home workouts. I have a workout app called HIITBURN that has tons of minimal and zero equipment workouts. There’s also a lot of free workout content on YouTube and Instagram if you’re wanting individual workouts instead of a periodized program.
What are your favorite at-home workouts? Are there any alternative household items for those who do not have fitness equipment at home?
I love high intensity interval training because you can get a lot of work done in a short amount of time. It can be done with no equipment, or add in things like dumbbells or bands for more resistance.
If you don’t have any equipment at home, you can use a backpack and fill it up to use as a weight. You can use a broom or dish towel for back workouts. There are so many things you can do to get creative and get in a great workout!
How can people get involved in fitness if they are working from home and have very limited time throughout the day?
If you’re limited on time, try to find a 20-30 minute slot in your day to get in a quick bodyweight workout. Quite honestly, you don’t have to do a million fancy exercises for hours per day to get in a great workout. If you focus on basic movements like push ups, pull ups (or, alternatively, rows on a broom, or towel pull downs), squats, lunges, and a core exercise or two, you’ll get in a great workout!
If you’re short on time, focus on intensity for a short period of time instead of feeling like you have to workout for a certain length of time.
What advice can you give to those who are struggling with nutrition and diet and working out at home during this time?
If you’re struggling with nutrition and working out during this time at home, the first thing to do is take a deep breath and give yourself some grace. No one has experienced this type of pandemic in our lifetime, and this time at home isn’t a productivity contest. There are lots unknowns and stressors out there, so it’s okay to take some time to allow yourself to rest and process.
A great way to get started is set small goals to set yourself up for success. Instead of having an all-or-nothing mindset, ease into it. Try things like, “I’m going to make my next meal a nutritious one.” In regards to fitness, start with moving your body for 10 minutes. You can do 10 minutes.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and go through waves in motivation. If you lack motivation, you aren’t failing. You’re human.
Allow yourself space and rest when you need it and then plan ahead to get in some movement and set small, manageable goals to get yourself back into healthy habits. When you see small wins, that helps boost confidence and starts setting the fire of motivation.