By: Patty De Belen
It’s no secret that exercise is good for you. It’s good to keep your body active but it’s also a lifesaver when it comes to dealing with stress.
Relieving my mental stress was a benefit of exercise that held on to tightly. When the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) was implemented, all fitness studios were forced to close until further notice – that became a major roadblock.
Anxiety started creeping in and I was scrambling to find another way to cope. If I couldn’t go out to train, I had to figure out how to do it from home. Little did I know, there are a lot of benefits of exercise I would pick up.
Teaches you to introspect
I’m a newbie to working out alone. I’m so used to having a personal trainer train during strength and conditioning sessions. I enjoy group exercises with my gym friends, and have my teammates to train with as we prepare for races. So as big of a shift this felt, I had to act.
Being pushed to workout from home taught me to make room for what mattered to me and that’s my mental health and my fitness. I created a “work(out) zone” at home. Putting the pieces together brought me so much joy; I was reaffirmed it belonged in my life.
Every time I get on my bike or my treadmill, I plug in my earphones and the rest of the world just zones out. I take it as my personal time to reflect on my day, my life, and the decisions I have to make. These days, I wake up excited to get on my treadmill and make sure I feel productive.
Teaches you time-management
When you’ve grown accustomed to moving your schedule around gym classes and your trainer’s sessions, you always have to choose between events. Do I make dinner or should I go to the gym? What time should I wake up to make it to my group session? Not to mention, Manila traffic was another factor I constantly considered.
Being able to do most of them is a benefit of exercise I’m finally appreciating! I can wake up at 6:40 and be on my treadmill at 7:00 am. I can put my son to sleep and get on my bike in the next room. I can be home for dinner without compromising my workout schedule.
You need a few things to get started: a virtual coach, a fitness app, and a concise training plan! Having these have kept me on track and have helped me manage my own progress.
Challenges you for the better
Staying motivated is a constant challenge brought by working out from home. It’s tough having to decide between binging another series on Netflix, with the aircon on, and fluffed in my sheets or to close my laptop, get in my workout gear and start training.
The toughest part is finding something that gets you started. I joined virtual races with the Iron Man Virtual Club weekly to keep myself motivated.The first few times felt dragging then I finally got myself back into the routine and felt accomplished to have risen to the challenge.
I’ve finished half an IronMan during the ECQ. Knowing that I can rise up to personal challenges and accomplish milestones from home is another benefit of exercise I’ve learned through this experience.
Brings out your inner child
Technology makes working out from home convenient and fun. Apps like Zwift gamifies your home workout. It simulates trails from all over the world you can virtually visit on your own or with friends from their homes.
This gives life to virtual team training. Working out from home doesn’t mean disconnecting with your teammates. Building camaraderie as we social distance is another benefit of exercise I attribute to working out from home.
I never thought the benefits of exercise included making time for myself, learning to be self-sufficient, and gaining confidence through my independence. ECQ or not, I now know that I will be able to cope through obstacles and handle things on my own.
We don’t always have good days and that’s okay. When you allow yourself to learn and grow through your experiences, you allow yourself to be comfortable under your own skin!
