Staying fit during the Corona crisis

Gyms and swimming pools have closed, club training sessions have been put on hold and outdoor training could soon be completely impossible, at least in urban areas. We show you how to stay fit, healthy and productive during the coronavirus crisis.

The corona crisis reaches the sports world

The coronavirus crisis has the world firmly in its grip. While the curve in China is fortunately slowly ebbing, Europe is increasingly becoming the epicenter due to the usual exponential course of the virus. This not only has drastic consequences for the economy, but also for the social freedom you have always been accustomed to.

Gyms have also been temporarily closed to contain the spread of the virus. In addition, instructions have been issued to avoid unnecessary social contact and to keep your distance. Of course, this also includes club training sessions on the soccer pitch or company sports groups.

The situation can also be further exacerbated by a curfew on unnecessary time spent outdoors. But that doesn't mean you can't keep fit. We show you how to stay fit during the coronavirus crisis.

Don't put your feet up

A healthy body is the basis for an active life. In addition to a diet that does not consist exclusively of pasta, white flour products and canned food, a fit body is your best bulwark in the corona crisis.

• Firstly, to give the virus as little chance as possible to knock you out.
• And secondly, so that you can continue to invest your energy where it is urgently needed in troubled times - with your family, in your role as an important specialist in your company and as a volunteer for the emergency services, fire department and the like.

Putting your feet up would be the wrong decision here. Fortunately, you don't even need a gym to stay fit during the corona crisis. A comprehensive workout is possible with simple equipment that you already have at home. If you work out in your home gym anyway, you naturally have an advantage.

"The axe in the house replaces the carpenter"

True to the motto "the axe in the house replaces the carpenter", it's a good idea to order some fitness equipment. Depending on your requirements, it doesn't have to be a weight station or a dumbbell set with 150 kilograms of additional weight. You can achieve a lot at home with just a pair of dumbbells thanks to a wide variety of training methods. Elastic training bands or sling trainers are also very effective and inexpensive for a comprehensive body workout.

Bodyweight training within your own four walls

But you can also do it without dumbbells, even if this limits your options somewhat. Nevertheless, you can still train with classic exercises such as various Push-up, Pull-up and Squat variations achieve a lot. Comprehensive Abdominal training is possible using just your body weight on the living room carpet. With a little ingenuity, you can even do isolation exercises for your shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Before we get to what an exemplary training plan could look like, let's get a little creative and show you how you can turn household items into training equipment. Even if they don't replace the gym, it's better than nothing during the coronavirus crisis.

Be inventive:

• Use a stable and non-tipping kitchen chair for dips.
• Load a rucksack full of water bottles (or flour) and use it as extra weight for push-ups, pull-ups, squats and the like.
• Steps and edges are an ideal basis for calf training in order to strain the muscles over as large a range of motion as possible.
• Perform rowing exercises or close bench presses using drinks crates.
• Beverage crates are also ideal for step-ups and the like.
• If you have a partner, partner workouts are a good idea. Here you use your partner's body weight as resistance.
• Use filled rucksacks, canisters for ironing water or other heavy objects as dumbbell substitutes for isolation exercises. This at least reminds many men that their first contact with weight training consisted of bicep curls with a satchel. Is it true or are we right?

Put together a varied workout

If you don't have the opportunity to do a split workout due to a lack of training equipment, for example, you can put together a varied full-body workout using bodyweight exercises.

You can do this in a circuit, for example, with short breaks after each round. This also trains your cardiovascular system and strengthens your entire body. You can find out exactly how to put together a training plan and the best exercises to do at home in our article "Exercises to do at home during lockdown".

Exercises for at home during the corona crisis #stayhome

In the article "Exercises for at home during the corona crisis" you will find 15 video exercises.

Cardio training during the corona crisis

The cardiovascular system is just as essential for a healthy body as it is for a clear mind. Too little exercise therefore not only damages the body, but also the ability to think clearly and the immune system. The restrictions that have already come into force in some cases naturally make cardio training somewhat more difficult.

Once again, all those who have an exercise bike or a training roller for clamping their bike are left out. Those with a large garden are also in the clear. Even if the circuit around the raised beds is boring, it is still possible.

A practical solution for all athletes is high-intensity interval training, which will effectively exhaust your circulation in the shortest possible time. You can find out exactly how this works in our articles on Thema High Intensity Interval Training.

However, as long as there is no general curfew and you take certain precautions, exercising outdoors is still a good option for your mind, body and immune system.

However, city parks or urban areas in general are not suitable for this. There are simply too many people here, so the recommended safety distance cannot be maintained.

There is nothing wrong with jogging in the forest or a road bike ride on the country road at the moment. Should the situation change, please follow the instructions of the authorities and, if in doubt, move your training indoors. If you live far away in the countryside, you have a clear advantage.

Don't let your diet slide

Even if the coronavirus crisis sometimes restricts training for many people, you must not neglect your diet. If you are exercising less than usual due to quarantine or a curfew, for example, you need to reduce your calorie intake somewhat to avoid gaining weight unnecessarily. At the same time, however, the following still applies:

Eat as varied, healthy and protein-rich a diet as possible. Foods rich in vitamin D in particular can't do any harm if there is already a threat of restrictions on your freedom of movement outdoors. You can find out why a sufficient supply of vitamin D is so important in the face of such a pandemic in our article "How can I improve my immune system during the coronavirus crisis?"

Don't worry, we know from our own experience that the shelves are still full to bursting with healthy foods such as nuts, seeds, vegetables and fish. Eating only pasta all the time isn't particularly good for your figure anyway. Unless you postpone the bulking phase until spring - summer vacation is probably not going to happen this year anyway.

Proper care at home too

Especially during this time, it is important to provide your body with the best possible care. You should take a closer look at the following products.

• Vitamin D3
  " Vitamin D3 capsules - micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and trace elements are at least as important for our body as the macronutrients carbohydrates, proteins and fat."

• Omega 3
  "Omega 3 boosts your digestive tract, helps stimulate metabolism, and helps you regulate cholesterol."

• Omega 3
  Rated 4.85 out of 5 based on 13 customer ratings
  16,90 € incl. VAT

• 24 Vitamins & Minerals
  " provides you with 12 high-dose important vitamins & 12 important minerals in just one capsule. Specially developed for women. Strengthen your immune system, now! "

• 24 Vitamins & Minerals
  Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 2 customer ratings
  17,90 € incl. VAT

• Magic Mix
  In addition to important vitamins and minerals for skin, hair and nails, it also contains natural, metabolism-stimulating and appetite-suppressing active ingredients.

• Women's Magic Mix
  Rated 4.65 out of 5 based on 34 customer ratings
  26,90 € incl. VAT

Conclusion: stay fit, level-headed and healthy

You can stay fit despite the coronavirus crisis. And that's important, because in the current phase it helps immensely if as many people as possible have something massive to counter the virus. At the same time, however, we would still like to ask you to take the necessary protective measures to avoid spreading the virus unnecessarily. And now let's get going!

Times are serious, but not hopeless. Humor is one of the best weapons to get through difficult times with a healthy mind. For this reason, we would like to explicitly point out that some parts of this article are meant to be taken with a wink.

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