We’re sharing our experiences, thoughts, and uncensored opinions during lockdown, quarantine, and self-isolation. For some of us, it’s DAY 46.
Are there enough hours in the day?
Tina F., Fairfax, #Virginia
The choices for exercise are endless. It can be done indoors or outdoors. It includes running, walking, jumping, sitting, standing, lifting, cycling, rowing, swimming…. phew, I’m exhausted already. The health benefits are both physical and mental. Experts are saying that we need only 15-30 minutes a day of brisk exercise to reap the benefits. So why is it so freaking hard to do?
I can’t tell you, because I am one of those people who hate the word “exercise” and the work associated with it. I literally exercise as little as possible and then purely out of guilt. I don’t want to be unhealthy and I don’t want my doctor to be disappointed in me.
Pre-corona, I went to a pilates class once a week. Now I zoom a pilates class once a week.
Do you realize how strange that is? Exercising on a mat in your home while a live person is watching you through the camera of your computer with instructions on what to do next. I dread hearing my name because that is a sure indication that I’m doing something wrong.
Can she really see me clearly? I wonder how big her screen is? She said that she mutes us so we can hear her better. Well thank goodness for that, because I am grunting and groaning for most of that class.
How do I feel when I’m done? Amazing! But I’m not doing that again for another 7 days.
I’m really trying to understand the psychology behind this exercise aversion. Is it fear of pain or just laziness? It’s only 15 minutes, for goodness sake!!! There are several things I do on a daily basis without a second thought.
- I make my bed – 5 mins
- I brush my teeth – 2 mins x 2
- I take a shower and dress – 25 mins
- I eat 3 meals a day – 15-60 minutes each (I also snack and make tea…so add time there )
So what’s the problem? Add exercise – 15 minutes to the list and it would still leave me with at least 10 waking hours to do other things. I think it’s the list of what I do in the other 10 hours that I really should question.
Feeling the power
RJD, #Beirut, #Lebanon
I tried to be active during the lockdown. I would wear my Apple Watch and see how active I was each day, but found that even in my large apartment, I can’t meet my daily goals.
Eleven floors: down I go, step by step, and eleven up. Daily. That made a difference. But what really made me sweat and get all my negative energy out is a fusion workout I do regularly. I box. I box the throned germ, the politics, the Idiot-in-Chief, the Lebanese warlords, and whatever pissed me off that day. Twenty minutes of kicking and punching in the air.
When I am done with abusing each and everyone, I zen down and do a dance, barre, and yoga routine for 40 minutes. At the end, I imagine the most beautiful white light engulfing Earth and everyone in it.
That calms my mind and grounds me, until the next time I have to walk down and up 11 floors and see who is pissing me off at that particular moment!
Lockdown makeover
Charlie, Metro #Washington, DC
There’s a part of me that will be sad to see our lockdown end. Why???!!!! You might say. It’s because the lockdown is forcing me to develop new habits when it comes to what I do each day. I’m eating healthier. Going for walks in secluded parks, where I don’t endanger others. Got lots of PT exercises to do for my knees. I haven’t had a Dr. Pepper in two months, which has been like mother’s milk to me since I slipped out of the womb.
Generally, I am hoping to come out of this stronger and healthier than when we went into lockdown.
No copyright infringement intended.
But I am concerned my new healthy ways will go the way of the dodo bird when they lift the doors to our cages. There is one old habit I hope never comes back: Watching the news. To break this habit during the lockdown, I signed up for an online course in Texas Holdem. They say we get what we focus on. If that’s true, I’d rather focus on poker than politics and the virus.
Actually, the real reason I’m learning to play Texas Holdem is I’m hoping to look young and sexy like the woman playing poker in the picture. Now that would be a serious Lockdown Makeover.
A real fitness freak
RafifJ, #Malaga, #Spain
When we first moved to Malaga, we joined a gym. Adam went regularly, leaving the apartment at 5:30 almost every morning to get in a solid few hours of exercise. As for me, by the second month, the membership director had called twice to ask if I needed any special incentives to show up at the gym. By the third month, I had canceled my never-used membership. However, recognizing the importance of fitness, especially for #diabetics, I made a point of speed-walking several miles a day through this hilly city.
Enter #Coronavirus and lockdown. Adam was really worried about his ability to get enough exercise. On Day 5-ish, we ordered yoga mats. Then we ordered weights. We kept ordering exercise equipment because, you know, it’s so important to stay fit.
Now that we have all the accoutrements of a home gym, I can say I’m impressed by Adam’s self-discipline. He’s tried to work out at the same pace as BC, and most mornings he wakes up early so he can lift weights, jog in place, box, and do all kinds of floor exercises.
A couple of hours later, I emerge from my bedroom. I head straight for the coffee maker for MY daily workout. I mean, who needs a bench press when you have a French press? And who needs to lift weights when you drink your coffee out of a monster-sized mug? The up-down motion – lots of reps – has really helped define my biceps. Talk about lifting weights – when I go all cafe con leche in my fitness routine, I am just unstoppable!
Of course, I am just (partially, sort of, kind of) kidding! Next week I’ll go back to speed-walking. And I’ll show off my chiseled arms.
Thank you for reading our blog! We welcome all feedback.
We often use photos we find on the Internet. No copyright infringement intended.
If you’d like to contribute a post, please get in touch! Send me an email, contact me on Twitter, or leave a comment here.
EverythingAfter50 