A difficult time for many of us occurred in March 2020 when the novel coronavirus first hit America and lockdown began. Then, adjusting to online schooling became a tedious and tiring task. In addition, if you are anything like me, the toughest transition throughout this time has been the inability to workout at a commercial gym.
The pandemic has been a tricky time to develop an effective fitness regime. Retail stores have been lacking equipment, and it’s been difficult adding variety with just body weight exercises. However, I have not let these setbacks stop me!
I took charge and set up a small home-gym, which consists of a cable machine, a pair of Bowflex dumbbells, some resistance bands, a foam roller and an adjustable weight bench. My workouts include similar activities to the ones I performed in the regular gym, apart from varying certain exercises since I lack a barbell.
For example, I have replaced my barbell bench press for a dumbbell chest fly, and my barbell rows for lateral pull-throughs. Luckily, my newly acquired home-gym and exercise variations have allowed me to stay ahead of the game. They have ensured that my pre-covid gains remain strong throughout this pandemic, and now into the best period: the re-opening of the gyms!
As many of us have learned over this past year, we can adapt to the struggles that come with unpredictability. With things changing once again, I encourage you to look back on your positive past experiences as motivation for your future successes. While it’s true that our fitness journeys are constantly changing, we are also capable of adaptation and growth.
Moving forward, if you have any burning fitness questions, or want to start a new exercise regime, come speak to one of our personal trainers at the fitness desk at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC). We will help you get back on the road to success! Finally, starting on August 2, the SRWC will have new hours and facility updates on accessibility will be released. For more information on personal training and other fitness programs, visit asirecreation.org.
