Training Matters: Don’t stop moving
By Alex Graham on April 16, 2020.
I never thought I would be writing an article about staying healthy during a global pandemic. That sounds like fiction. Yet, here I am. I know I am starting week five of social distancing and self-isolation and most people aren’t far behind me. School is done. Sports are done. Work is a huge unknown for so many people. Only essential services are open. No gyms. No yoga studios. No arenas. With everything going on right now, why should training be a priority? Here is the reason: your physical health is tied to your mental and emotional health. Staying active, going outside, and maintaining your functional integrity all will help with the feelings and emotions people are struggling with. Social distancing and isolation suck. I said it. I don’t think anyone is enjoying this. So start moving. It might not make you feel better right away, but it does make a difference physiologically and psychologically. So, how do we train at home with no equipment? There are a lot of answers to this and many different ways we can meet our goals while stuck at home. Did you read that right? You can reach your goals training at home with no equipment. For those of you who just want to stay active and move there are plenty of body weight exercises you can do. Squats, push-ups, lunges, et cetera. You can make any of those plyometric, or explosive which will give you a power emphasis and work your intensity levels higher. Core exercises are easy and abundant and can be done anywhere, anytime. I personally set aside 15-20 minutes every morning to do my workouts and I haven’t seen my fitness level drop at all. If you are training towards a more sport-specific goal, don’t worry, you will be ok. I just wrote a four-week training block for two NCAA hockey players using only bodyweight and two 20-pound dumbbells. I’ve done every workout I wrote for them and it is not easy and they will see gains. If you don’t have weights, that is ok too. There are other ways to achieve the stress and input needed for specific training priorities such as strength, power, speed, etc. Weight or load is only part of the equation. Volume and intensity are other parts. To substitute load, you can increase volume. This can be done by either doing more reps and sets or doing movements under tempo, which increased time under tension and can be quite potent. You can also increase the intensity, which can be done by increasing the pace of the movement, reducing the rest period, and increasing the volume. While I don’t need to go into a complete sports science lecture, my point is you can reach your training objectives at home with no equipment. Whether you are training for a goal, or just trying to battle the blues that come with our current situation, staying active and moving is key. Don’t let being at home and not having access to equipment deter you. Your body and your mind will thank you for it. Now with that said, stay healthy and STAY HOME. Alex Graham, CES, XPS is the strength and conditioning coach at ASDC-SE. She also is the Kinetisense Performance Specialist and is a leading expert in 3D functional movement. Email agraham@mhc.ab.ca. 9-8
