Let’s face it, online exercise just isn’t the same as the previous gym classes you used to go to! You don’t have enough (if any) equipment, there is less motivation and when you’ve spent all day in your house already- who wants to workout in that same space again?!?!
For the first few months a lot of us used this as a chance to have some down time from exercise (which is totally fine and much needed for many of us). However as the months have gone on, not exercising is taking a negative toll on our bodies, fitness and overall health. Remember how energised, confident and motivated you would feel after exercise- those endorphins are needed now more than ever to get us through!
SO- how can you navigate the issues with online training to make it work for you, so when gyms do once again open their doors- you already feel strong, fit and healthy :)
1. Consider the right option for you (PT v group class v pre-recorded workout)
With so many options for online training out there, explore your options and what feels right for you! Live online group classes are a great way to stay motivated and feel connected and have that community gym feel again! For example at FitMiss we offer a great range of cardio based, strength style and stretch based classes to chose from so you always have variety. Our instructors also include alternatives for those with injuries and there are equipment and no equipment options so everyone can participate at their own level. So many ladies have found these are just what they needed to have fun while working out again!
Personal Training- Think you won’t work at hard doing online PT? Think again! We have over 50 ladies participating in online PT sessions who were previously doing outdoor PTs and this week alone they have been so surprised at just how much we can achieve online even with a small amount of equipment to chose from! If you have a good trainer, who understands your needs and goals, they should be able to construct a program that is perfect for you using either body weight OR using resistance bands OR just a couple of different weighs.
2. Choose a space that doesn’t feel like work!
So you’ve spent all day sitting in the lounge room working from home. You close the tabs on your laptop relating to work, and then open another tab with your live zoom class on it! Just doesn’t feel like you ever get away from the living room or your laptop!!
Consider the benefit of using a different device e.g. your phone or ipad for your workout AND moving away from your living room to perhaps your bedroom OR even going out to a local park. Take your airpods with you, go outside and tune out for 30-60 mins!
3. Set some goals
Having a vague plan is not very motivating in any occasion! Set some specific goals for you to work towards over the next 6 weeks! Would you like to do push ups on your toes? Would you like to increase your cardio fitness or perhaps work on strengthening your core and achieve a 2 minute plank? Having some specific goals in place will give you motivation to get back into your fitness! Just because your goals may be different to when you’re at the gym, doesn’t mean they can’t be any more valuable J Imagine if you could head back to the gym without that niggling knee injury because you’ve used this time to work with your trainer on glute strength and squat technique!
Work with one of our friendly trainers to set up some specific and motivational goals for you!
4. Write an exercise plan
As with any goal- your best chance of success is to make a plan!
1. What days and times will you work out this week?
2. What will you do on these days (e.g. a PT session, a pre-recorded core class, a live zoom class)?
3. What intensity will you work at during each session?
5. Ask for advice on equipment
Have you used the excuse “I can’t workout because I don’t have any equipment at home”??!! We strongly disagree! It is still possible to grab yourself some resistance bands or a couple of weight pieces and you would be very surprised at what your trainer can do with these! I have now trained one of my clients for over 3 months with just resistance bands and a pair of 3kg dumbbells! We use an outdoor step to do decline push ups, step ups, split squats and dips and utilise different tempos (such as a 3 second hold) to suddenly make lateral raises with a 3kg weight very challenging!
Your personal trainer is there to help guide you through exercises and workouts that'll help you meet your goal. In order to get the most out of your virtual workout, chat with one of our friendly trainers about a personalised workout program we can write up for you utilising the equipment you have at home!
6. Create a routine
Our brains crave routine and consistency and we haven’t had much of either over the last few months! This is not only a factor in some of the feelings we have been having but also contributes to our lack of motivation. Accept that your routine will not look like it did pre-lock down. But that’s ok, use this as an opportunity to create a new routine that perhaps incorporates a couple of activities that you never had time for before! Schedule in what time you will clock off work and start exercise and what time you will get out of bed in the morning. Other ideas to complete your routine are incorporating a lunch time walk and a few hours to meal planning and prepping on the weekend!
7. Have patience with the process
The process of switching to a virtual mode of personal training sessions — especially if you've never done it before— may have a few hiccups (WIFi going out, learning how to adjust your camera), so be patient with yourself and your personal trainer while working through any issues. Our FitMiss trainers have now taken hundreds of online personal training sessions and live group classes and can easily show you tips and tricks to make this a great experience!
8. Accept what currently is
Yes, you are right- online training is not a substitute for the gym! So stop making the comparison and change your mindset! Online training is simply a bridge to maintain or grow your fitness during the current restrictions, work on a goal and improve your mental health! Just because it doesn’t look and feel the same as your PT session at the gym does not mean it is not super valuable and beneficial to invest in. Again- change your mindset! Use this as an opportunity to work on body strength, controlling certain movements, work on imbalances or simply smash out a workout with different types of exercises!
Online training is nothing like being at the gym, and it’s not meant to be! But, over the next 6 weeks we have the opportunity to make the most of what Online Training has to offer and come out of this lockdown fitter, stronger and healthier versions of ourselves. Imagine stepping back into that gym and feeling more confident, stronger and more prepared then you ever have! After the last lockdown we had several clients who came back needing to use lighter weights or take more breaks during their sessions and we also had lots of clients who stepped back in stronger then they had before lockdown! You are in control of how you see your training experience and what you make out of the next 6 weeks and if you’re open to it- we are happy to help!
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