Maxed out workout videos? Try one of these instead

As we hit the three month mark on lockdown, it’s likely that your enthusiasm for at-home workouts has dwindled. Your fitness regime may have been embarked on with the best of intentions, but sticking to the same thing every day is tiresome and not actually the best thing for your fitness goals. As restrictions ease and facing the world again becomes a not-so-distant reality, here are three ways to stay fit – none of which require a wifi connection. 

If you've so far resisted the surge in popularity in jogging (or started, only to fall off the wagon again) why not take advantage of the warmer weather and lace up? ’Write down your goals to hold yourself accountable,’ suggests Alix Ramsier, founder of AJ’s Run School. ‘Avoid setting unrealistic targets that you’ll struggle to achieve and instead set a goal, whether that’s being able to run 5km in a few month’s time or just continue running consistently.’ Having the motivation to get out of the door can be the hardest part, so Alix suggests encouraging a friend or family member to take up running with you (within government guidelines) and become your accountability partner.

‘Yoga doesn’t have to be complicated and in a sense, yoga doesn’t have to be yoga,’ explains Dan Keith, founder of Yoga, Sutton. ‘Mobility is king: having abs is great, but nothing beats being able to move freely. I opened my studio to encourage yoga newbies to make yoga part of their regular workouts and remove the preconceived notions that yoga is boring. I can enjoy so many forms of exercise like bodybuilding, martial arts cycling because I’ve made yoga a priority.’ If you’re entirely new to yoga, Dan suggests starting with a few simple poses to increase mobility (and strength) – downward dog, high lunges, a forward fold and pigeon pose – and repeating them daily.

If you’re injured, bored of your current regime or are feeling particularly stiff from sitting in the same spot all day, focus on low-impact exercises. Burning yourself out with high intensity workouts might feel good in the short term, but long term impact can result in higher cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, which can lead to things like weight gain, acne and heightened anxiety. Keep things more chilled by focusing on exercises that don’t involve pounding the ground until you’re red in the face. Gentle squats, front and back lunges, crunches, planks and other bodyweight exercises can be just as effective as a HIIT workout – you just need to retrain your mind into thinking that low impact equals weaker results.