Ideas for keeping active during self-isolation

24th March 2020

With race and event calendars a little up in the air, keeping active will help us stay healthy and sane. To help, we have put together a short guide with ideas for working out wherever you are*.

Time to turbo

For many people, the turbo will be a saviour over the coming weeks. Think of it as a small extension to winter. From Zwift to the Global Cycling Networks extensive list of indoor workouts, if you have access to a trainer, you are pretty much set. Just don’t overtrain!

Keep your eye out on your favourite cyclists’ and triathletes’ social media pages as many are announcing online races and training events.

Solitary training

No turbo? Me neither. The situation is changing second by second but for the moment we can still make the most of the great outdoors to bike, run and walk – as long as we are on our own and keep our distance.

No power meter? Adapt your session to HR. No heart rate monitor? Go off perceived effort. Or just drop the numbers, move your body and let the endorphins flow.

Use your bodyweight

This is an opportunity to do all of those physio exercises you’ve been skipping to build a strong frame for when we can ramp up our training again. You may have a set of exercises tailored to you, but if not, you could try the Peloton app who have boosted their free trial to 90 days for their range of online classes during this period.

The Global Cycling Network has a plethora of videos to help you strengthen your core, hips and lower back, whilst the Global Triathlon Network covers injury prevention and general strength and conditioning.

You may need to get creative but many of these exercises can be done using bodyweight alone. Think calf raises on the first step of your staircase and bridges, clamshells and crunches on your living room floor.

Crack out the leotard

We have moved on from Jane Fonda’s monopoly on exercise tapes. YouTube is full of classes, from yoga and tai chi, to Zumba, strength and HIIT workouts.

As with the internet in general, the quality is going to vary so do practice caution, warm up well and know your own body. From the GTN’s 15 Minute HIIT Workout video to the Yoga With Adriene channel, there really is something for everyone.

Swimming without a pool

Now obviously, swimming without water is hard! However, there are strength exercises you can do to be prepped for when the pools open up again. The legendary Dave Scott has shared his dry land swimming exercise tips whilst the GTN also has a Strength & Conditioning For Swimming video.

Daniela Ryf took to the bathtub which was very comical but probably not going to improve your swim!

Total lockdown

When all else fails, there is a perhaps an unusual source of inspiration. Prison. Yep, you read that correctly! Think pushups, planks, squats, dips and burpees to keep fit with little equipment in a confined space. There is even an online programme. ConBody was founded by a former prisoner in the US and has a range of 20 minute or so no frills online workouts. It isn’t free but the business also helps former prisoners turn their lives around – so a win win.

Remember, we are all in this together! That sets this period apart from a personal period of injury or sickness – no one is out racing, we are all in the same boat. Keep your chin up and let’s re-emerge from this enforced break stronger.

We would love to see your training tips for these extraordinary times of social distancing and self-isolation. Tag us in on social media and we’ll share your great ideas with the Dorney Lake Series community!

*Please note, if you are ill in any way, please rest up and seek appropriate medical advice! Training can wait. Not sure? Read our tips on when to rest and when to train.