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How To Train And Keep Busy During Quarantine

Razili Nelson explains how you can reduce the risk of losing the fitness you may have built up over the past few months.

With a global pandemic showing no real signs of dissipating anytime soon, it is fair to say that COVID-19 has had a vice-like grip on sport, and with the opportunity to be active somewhat limited, there is always the risk of losing the fitness.

However, just because you cannot get to the gym does not mean that you cannot stay healthy either, and although the usual locations for exercise are closed, there are always some alternatives.

One of those is simple enough, and it comes in the form of utilizing the Government’s approved window of exercise - a window that even if you do not consider yourself in shape, is not one to be wasted.

Be it a bike ride, 5km run, or even a light walk that breaks a sweat, getting your body active in such stressful times is recommended. Getting out and about for a small amount of time can have benefits for your physical and mental health.

Of course, team sports such as Football are not deemed as an approved pastime at present, and with players up and down the United Kingdom sitting inactive at present, they will be looking to Germany with a keen interest in the next few weeks.

That is because the German Football League (DFL) drew up plans for the Bundesliga to resume in May. After a slight delay in proceedings, the green light has finally been switched on by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Who will lift the trophy Bayern or Dortmund?

While a ball cannot be kicked in anger, footballers both amateur and professional can still use their surroundings to stay match fit, and if they also possess a garden, then no shortage of training drills can be undertaken.

For example, if you are either a Premier League or Sunday League forward and have been charged with scoring goals this season, the last thing you want to do is lose the edge over a fearsome center-back.

You are going to have to make sure your shooting boots still fit and what better way to do that, than by arranging some target practice. Whether it be against your back wall or a reduced size goal, any striker will attest to the joyful feeling of scoring a goal.

Even if you cannot call upon a goalkeeper in times such as these, nothing is stopping you from sharpening your technique in front of the goal, and who knows, it may just pay dividends when you return to the playing field.

This is just one of many examples of leftfield thinking when it comes to the coronavirus situation that we found ourselves in. Although keeping active is essential, rest is just as pertinent.

Admittedly, there is going to be a lot more relaxation these days, what with so many people placed under lockdown. However, that does not mean you need to overexert yourself, in a bid to compensate for such restrictions.

There may be a sense of trying to prove a point and being overactive, especially if you have not picked up a bike for the last couple of years and all of a sudden attempt a 60km bike ride on a Tuesday afternoon.

That is only going to inflict more stress and strain on the body, which means the risk of injury, and if you are injured it will only make this current climate all the tougher – because, you will be stuck feeling sorry for yourself on the sofa.

Therefore, the mantra should be exercise smarter, not harder, and make sure you rest both mind and body. Rest that could come in the form of reading a book or listening to some of your favourite records.

Or it could be utilising this abundance of spare time, in a bid to learn a new skill. Whether you have always wanted to learn Spanish or work out how to construct a database, you will never get a better opportunity. Whatever you choose to do during these times, please make sure you stay safe.


Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

  • NELSON, R. (2020) How To Train And Keep Busy During Quarantine [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article566.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Razili Nelson is a freelance journalist.