Cómo mantenerse en forma en casa durante la pandemia de coronavirus
Rise. Run. Rest. Repeat. This was, for many runners, the daily grind. Then the coronavirus pandemic happened. Now runners must adapt their training or explore new ways to maintain fitness when it is difficult to exercise outdoors and indoor workouts must be timed around the needs of one’s family, pets, and office. Fitness businesses must find new ways to appeal to stressed-out at-home workers whose routines have gone out the window.
Some of those businesses have gone online or to social media with a variety of at-home workouts, targeting strength, balance, flexibility or some combination of those.
Before you begin an at-home fitness regime, Pamela Geisel, MS, CSCS, exercise physiologist & manager of performance services at Hospital for Special Surgery (an NYRR partner), has some advice to help you assess the best kind of workout for yourself. "We tend to gravitate to things we like and are good at,” Geisel says, “but now is an excellent time to focus on where our weaknesses may be.” If you lack flexibility, for instance, now is a good time to work stretching into your routine. If you have always wanted to do a full push-up, focus on strength. Geisel also recommends a five-minute warm-up and cool-down added to each workout.
Many studios, gyms, and physical therapy locations offer instructor-led workouts via Instagram, Zoom, and other online streaming formats. This is not only a great way to work up a sweat, but it also supports your local businesses. If you don’t have a business in mind, Geisel has some advice for locating the right instructors. “Find qualified exercise professional that provide proper cueing and modifications. It's a good sign that you are in excellent hands,” she says.
Hospital for Special Surgery, in the Feel Better From Home section of its website, offers a wide variety of exercises, wellness information, and work-from-home tips to help runners adapt workouts at home. In addition, the HSS Instagram account and YouTube channel offer expert-led instructional videos ranging from in-home strength to foam rolling to training tips for runner to yoga.
A recent video post with instructor Jimmy Russomano offered an in-home Neuromuscular Training routine to build strength.
HSS exercise physiologist Polly de Mille shows foam rolling techniques to help with recovery.
Geisel offers training tips for runners.
Physical therapist Cara Ann Senicola shares how to ensure you’re practicing yoga safely from home on Instagram.
How often should a runner be working out right now? “If you are someone who has been working out three or four days [a week], now is not the time to start working out six or seven days a week,” says Geisel. She follows the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, which recommend 2-3 days a week of strength, balance, and flexibility training, in addition to 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise weekly.
Look for workouts like yoga or dance that combine these aspects into a single class. For runners, Geisel also recommends a workout that involves all three planes of motion: front to back, side to side, and rotational.
While many of us are searching for ways to stay fit, it is important to keep in mind that changes to routines and daily lives can add stress and anxiety, as can changes in mood and sleep patterns, all of which are heightened now during the pandemic. “A healthy diet, proper nutrition, and a good night’s sleep go a long way in keeping us healthy!” says Geisel. She recommends that runners set an alarm, limit exposure to blue light (from computers and other screens) before bed, and make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep.
Above all else, be kind and take care of yourself right now. We all want a return to our previous routine, but now might be the time to step back and reassess your training. If you adapt a new routine, ease it, following best practices, good form, and taking days off to recover. Find those exercises you enjoy—and most importantly, have fun!