In view of the current COVID-19 situation and measures implemented by the governments, we have asked some of the experts to share some tips with our running and sports community on how to stay physically, mentally and/or nutritionally healthy during this period.
1. How do we stay active or physically healthy during this period, considering that we are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible?
The fundamentals of staying active and physically healthy remain the same: Set outcome goals, set process goals, and then execute.
The considerations of setting fitness outcome goals, for example, ‘doing 30 push-ups’ remain much the same pre-COVID-19.
Event-based outcome goals are harder to set because mass participation events are likely one of the last to return as the world progressively reopens.
Three ways you can work around that is to sign up for virtual events, aim for an event later in the calendar, and do individual time-trials.
Process goals like working out every day or leaving your seat to move every 45 minutes keep you on track to your outcome goal.
Ultimately, having goals help.
As for execution, things are more challenging because of space, equipment, and social limitations.
But one thing almost everyone can do is to put more focus on strength and conditioning fundamentals, which consists mostly of bodyweight workouts and mobility work. You can do these at home.
The next step will be to follow a structured strength and conditioning plan. For this, you might need home-gym equipment or improvisation.
Another place to start is generic workouts that are in abundance on the internet. They work excellent for the short term or if you know what you’re doing. In the long run, it might lead to overuse injuries, and eventually, a personalized approach is more sustainable.
Regardless of your fitness understanding, the current period is an excellent time to find out more about your body through the help of professionals or self-exploration. Paying attention to your mental, physical, and emotional strength and conditioning is one of the best investments to make now.
2. How do we stay calm during this stressful period?
There’re plenty of mental strategies you can adopt. The one which worked best for me was to sense-make, plan for the worst, and then forge ahead.
Like many, I struggled with adjusting at first. The turning point came after I tried to make sense of the change the world is going through.
During this period, plenty of paid information is cheaper or even free, so I took advantage and tuned in to more webinars, podcasts, and news. I gathered the content and analyzed them.
The result is a written piece about the most probable future for our lifestyles, the economy, and various industries.
I sent a summary of my thoughts to my employees to let them know what things are going to be like in the days ahead and made sure that they know everyone’s taken care of.
I’m not sure how useful it was for them, but having a better sense of the future helped me set new personal goals and direction for the company.
Since then, every day has had more resemblance to another working day, and it has been easier to stay calm.
3. Are there any simple nutrition plans, tips or recipes that we can follow?
Yes, there are, but first I have to make a disclaimer that I’m not a professional in this area.
I subscribe to a whole-food plant-based diet for compassionate reasons, and I find it meaningful, healthy, and sustainable.
4. Are there any recommendations on resources (youtube channel/video, social media pages, blogs, books, podcasts etc) to refer to?
For fitness and wellness goals, I believe the most efficient way to learn is to talk to a professional. I recommend seeking out residents of Core Collective, which is a co-working space for such professionals.
My team at Second Wind Nation is also working on an app that aims to mass-personalize structured strength and conditioning and running training plans. Follow us at our Instagram or Facebook for more updates.
ABOUT JING ZHI CHUA
Jung Zhi Chua is a Running Coach and the Founder of Second Wind Nation.
Jing Zhi is also a swim and bike coach who has worked with clients ranging from Southeast Asia’s top marathoners and triathletes to absolute beginners and injured folks. His services are sought after by international brands like Pocari Sweat, New Balance, and Polar.
His skillsets include biomechanical assessment, strength and conditioning, and training program design.
