LIFESTYLE - Lea’s Lockdown Workout
Lockdown 2020. Am I right in saying that it feels like ten years ago, but also feels like only yesterday?
During that unprecedented period of lockdown, a lot of things changed. For me and many other students, a major change was the absence of sport. Pre-pandemic, I was playing hockey three times a week for South Antrim Ladies Hockey Club, travelling to matches all around the country and socialising with my teammates. Once March hit, hockey was over. It took me quite some time to adjust to this. I felt like I didn’t know how to keep fit without it. All of a sudden, people were completing 5k run challenges, doing 30-day ab-workouts, and creating swimming pools in their back gardens.
As a firm ‘anti-runner’, it was clear that home workouts were my only option, so I began to search through the depths of YouTube to find a workout that was appealing to me.
Fast-forward to February 2021 and I am still doing my home workouts!
It took a lot of trial and error to finally nail down a home workout routine. After several weeks of live workouts and various high intensity HIIT videos on YouTube, it soon became apparent to me that the key to a successful home workout is fun. Yes, it sounds a little cheesy, but if you are loathing every second of that ab workout then exercise becomes a laborious task. As we continue through this time of online learning, enjoying my exercise is particularly important to me. So, a few times a week, I will complete the following workout routine in the living room of my student house.
For this workout you will need access to YouTube and floor space or an exercise mat if you have or want one.
Firstly, I will normally do a few simple stretches to warm up. Then I will begin my workout with one 15-20-minute HIIT/Cardio session. My favourite workouts to complete are the lockdown classic ‘PE with Joe’ sessions. Joe Wicks has a variety of workout videos on his YouTube channel that range in difficulty. His videos also offer a bit of light relief alongside a good workout meaning I always come away from these videos feeling energised and a bit more positive.
If you are feeling like you want a tougher workout, then I would recommend the ‘Les Mills’ workout channel. These workouts are intense, but I feel a great sense of satisfaction if I manage to complete one. My favourite video of theirs is the ‘30 minute LES MILLS GRIT Cardio Workout.’
Following either one of these videos, I will then move on to one of my favourite finds of lockdown – ‘Hit Hop.’ ‘Hit Hop’ is a specific style of HIT workout that incorporates dance and interval training to numerous great sound tracks and musical themes. I complete these videos on the EMkfit YouTube channel, where personal trainer Emily choregraphs and leads the workouts.
To finish, I will then do a small arm workout. There are many seven to ten minute arm workouts across YouTube, but my favourite video is the Holly Dolke 7-minute arm workout. Alternatively, I use a set of dumbbells and complete three sets of 15 bicep curls on each arm. This is nothing special or complicated, but it gives the arm muscles a quick workout without too much equipment or time required.
Hopefully, you can get some ideas from my recommendations.
As students, it can be even more difficult to complete home workouts due to small student house bedrooms or cramped student accommodation. But home workouts can be student friendly, and mine does not require a major list of equipment or space. If you are not keen on making too much noise or have a limited amount of floor space, here are a few videos (1) (2) that require a small amount of floor space and will not annoy your neighbours! It can be hard to find a good way to exercise at the moment which is why finding something that you enjoy is so important. Find what suits you and keep going!
Lea Carson is a second-year International Studies and Politics student.