Many Australians have spent the last couple of years dramatically shaking up our workout routines every time a new lockdown is imposed, displaying impressive ingenuity despite being shut out of our gyms.
In 2022, Australia’s gyms remain open (…for now). Despite this, there were some fitness habits I picked up in lockdown that I’m keen to hold onto.
(Some of you readers may live in a state that never locked down for an extended period — lucky you! While you count your blessings, you might also consider incorporating some of these strategies into your everyday routine.)
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COVID walks
Almost every day during Sydney’s almost four-month-long lockdown, I’d lace up my shoes and go for a long walk with no specific destination — often listening to a podcast, or joined by a friend. Since lockdown ended, I can count the number of local walks I’ve undertaken on one hand.
While I don’t miss lockdown, I do miss those walks. For starters, it was a great way to explore undiscovered pockets of my neighbourhood. More importantly, walking is one of the best ways to get and stay fit: it’s free, it’s low-impact, and it delivers significant benefits in as little as 10 minutes a day.
But most important are the mental health benefits of walking. Those COVID walks were an opportunity to reset and reflect that would be welcome in 2022.
Outdoor workouts
I know you running aficionados have been training outdoors for years, and will keep training outdoors for years regardless of COVID restrictions. But during lockdown, many of us switched our workouts from gyms and studios to parks — which have largely been empty of exercisers since lockdown ended.
This is a shame, because outdoor workouts in the fresh air add terrific variety to a workout routine. Every Friday lunchtime during lockdown, I’d meet a mate in the park between our houses for a 20 or 30-minute cardio session, which we’ve attempted to continue, mostly because it’s a perfect opportunity to catch up. The only thing we’ve changed is the timing: in summer, dodge the midday heat (and take advantage of lighter days) by scheduling your outdoor workouts in the early morning or evening.
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Virtual workouts at home
Before the age of coronavirus, I’d almost never streamed a video workout from the internet. At the height of lockdown, I streamed multiple workouts a day to stay active. I’ve maintained the habit, mixing at-home virtual workouts with my “real” workouts in the gym — a strategy I highly recommend to get the most out of your exercise.
My go-to virtual workout is Apple’s Fitness+, which requires an Apple Watch on top of the monthly subscription fee. But virtual fitness is a crowded market, so you can find something that suits your budget (from free YouTube workouts up to Peloton’s bells-and-whistles bike, which costs nearly $3000) and your preferred training style (such as cardio, weights, yoga or Pilates).
