5 ways COVID-19 affected training
- up2010162
- May 20, 2021
- 2 min read
Many changes happened to our lives when COVID-19 hit the UK and we were sent into lockdown. One effect of the pandemic was adjusting my training routine to fit the new norms that had happened over night. Here are 5 ways my training changed over lockdown:
1. The community feel of running
One of the hardest effects of lockdown was not being able to see friends and family. I especially noticed the absence of people when I was running. Going from training with club members and my friends, to completing long sessions by myself, made me appreciate the supportive community that exercise brings. Lockdown made me realise the importance of the social side of sport and how much it helps to increase motivation.
2. No more swimming
Due to Coronavirus, pools were forced to close - meaning there was no access to pool training for months. Having been swimming competitively since I was 9 years old, transitioning from swimming 4 times a week - to none at all was a big change to take on board! However, I replaced the absence of swimming with run sessions. This made me realise the strong passion I had for running and was able to improve my running times massively – so perhaps the closure of pools worked in my favour!
3. Structure of training
With lockdown ending my A Level studies early, my days suddenly had no structure and I was no longer restricted by times of the school day. I was given the freedom to train whenever I liked. Through the experimentation of running at different times, I discovered I feel my best during mid-morning or in the evening. Although I found having no routine difficult, I am grateful that lockdown provided me with time to test new training schedules.
4. Lack of motivation
Another way that my training changed over lookdown was that my motivation decreased dramatically. You would have thought that having no school work and no job to balance with training, I would be filled with enthusiasm to run – yet the complete opposite happened. However, I realised I was not alone in this and talking to other athletes, I discovered I was not the only one feeling this way. With constant reminders that everyone was dealing with the pandemic differently, I let myself train less, knowing that my incentive to train would soon return.
[This video from Holly Dolke gives simple ways to keep yourself motivated to get fit]
5. Home workouts
Another result of COVID-19 was that I started to do home workouts. Following in pursuit of others online, I felt inspired to start completing workouts in my room. Having never been a person to enjoy the gym, I felt unsure of this new venture; however, it did not take me long to realise what I had been missing out on! I would definitely recommend to give them a go!
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