Lockdown - Fitness is a Skill

We don’t need reminding of the uncertainty around lockdown, but maybe we do need a little comfort in knowing that time out of the gym, or away the weights isn’t the end of our progression.

Health related fitness can be broken down into five components;

1.     Cardiovascular Fitness

2.     Muscular Strength

3.     Muscular Endurance

4.     Flexibility

5.     Body Composition

These components are all affected by age, gender, body type and activity level. In the simplest terms; females are generally more flexible than males, but males generally have more muscular strength; there are things you will be naturally better at. However these all require a level of skill.

As we become more health conscious and focused during lockdown, it’s important to remember that we are, essentially, learning new skills. Personally I have taken up running as opposed to sitting on a spin bike six times a week, and as much as I would love to, I haven’t quite found the confidence to jump around the back garden doing my aerobics class! So, running it is. However, the last time I ran with any consistency was in 2017 in the lead up to Total Warrior. It has been easy to tell myself that I’m really unfit and what sort of PT am I if I let myself go during lockdown?! But, the truth is, it is a skill I do not really possess. Each run has gotten slightly easier, I still question everything while I am out, but it is a skill I am developing. Would I be so harsh on myself if I was brushing up on my Spanish language, most definitely not!

Skills are things we develop over time. Some come naturally, some do not. If home workouts are kicking your butt because there’s more endurance work, remember that you are building a new skill, remember that this is something you are not used to doing. Take a moment to remind yourself that although this is our new normal, it won’t last forever. We will move into a newer normal and we will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we will emerge with new skills and, hopefully, a new outlook on our lives.

You are doing the best you can with the set of circumstances you are in. Worst-case scenario? We come out of this with new experiences and a passion for what we really love.