1/ Decide what activity you’ve missed the most and book yourself in. In England From the 29th March you’ll be able to return to quite a few sports played outdoors like football, golf and basketball. We're also reopening strength and power circuit outdoors on a 1/1 distanced basis until the 12th April when we’ll also reopen the indoor gym for personal training. From May 17th, sports played indoors will be allowed again. If you miss swimming, you’ll have to wait until after Easter to swim indoors but lakes and seas are all open if you’re feeling brave or if like me you’re booked in for a charity swim event ( have a browse online, there might be a sport event up your street and this could kick start your motivation) !
2/ Plan some conditioning to improve sport performance and physique (a natural perk of conditioning). For example, If you like endurance running, you should also think about conditioning your body and giving it the strength it needs. Here, we help runners improve their running biomechanics. Joggers often suffer from weak glutes which can lead to Achilles tendinitis and IT band syndrome but also limits their hip extension and the power they put into their runs. If the core is weak, it can also lead to ineffective running. Running can also tighten hamstrings and this is also something you could ask your PT to help counterbalance.
3/Look at the time you have available to exercise and organise it so it includes endurance and muscular work as well as a more social session. More than ever now, we recognise the physical and mental benefits of exercising, no matter what level you are at. 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity is recommended over 5 day cycles. This is an example of how you could schedule your 5 days: Day 1- 50 mins session with your PT focusing on muscular strength or sport conditioning. Day 2: 20 mins multi pace walk or jog. Day 3 : rest day! Day 4: 60 mins Dance or martial art class, football game or friend/family bike ride. Day 5: 2: 20 mins multi pace walk or jog.
4/ Prepare your meals in advance. The recommended daily caloric intake is 2000 calories for women (19-64) and 2500 for men (19-64) and count 200-300 calories less if you are older. However this can vary enormously on the days when you are active and will also depend on your fitness goals! You can have up to 4 meals a day if they are nutritionally rich and in line with your level and type of physical activity. Think about carbohydrates as your main fuel for exercise and as a way to make you feel full. Try and include lots of vegetables and fruits for vitamins, fibres and phytochemicals ( fruits and vegs also contain carbs). Proteins for building cells of all kinds and repairing muscle fibre damage (a natural process). Fats are also important and need to be present in your diet, albeit in much smaller amounts. They can fuel less intensive physical activities but also help the body absorb vitamins. Finally bear in mind that most foods contain
the 3 macros in varying portions (carbs, protein and fats) but keep an eye out for the free sugar content ( a type of carbs).
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