HOW I TRIED TO STAY FIT DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN (+FREE ONLINE CLASSES)

With so much downtime on our hands (as of March), I have been on a mission to do at least one physical activity at least five days a week since the indoor tennis bootcamps that I attend are still temporarily on pause. I started off strong, but slowly fell off after a few weeks because I noticed a few things:

Yes, I was looking better physically and felt accomplished after each class or activity.
But I found myself not feeling like doing much else during the rest of the day.

Now that I’ve packed on the “Quarantine 15” during this COVID-19 pandemic, I’m just trying to figure out a schedule that makes me feel accomplished while I’m sweating it out (and productive when I’m not).

CYCLING/SPINNING

Peloton Bike
Thank goodness my husband surprised me with this for Christmas. While indoor at-home exercise isn’t exactly my idea of fun, I have definitely learned how to find it…fun. I’m working on a blog post about my Peloton experience since the question I get most is, “Is it worth it?” Short answer: Yes, I think so—especially if you like the idea of NOT having to leave your home to get a decent cardio workout.
KTX Fitness
KTX Fitness has been one of THE highlights of my time while sheltering in place! I found Keith Thompson on YouTube last year (July 2019) and I daydreamed about joining a class with this kind of energy. I solicited class recommendations from my personal connections based on the video below to no avail. I then started following Keith on Instagram and found myself disappointed TWICE when I realized after the fact that his tour schedule included my locale. Well, as luck would have it, Keith started offering his spin classes online through ZOOM as a result of the global pandemic and shelter-in-place orders, and I joined his first online class in the new format.

The video that got me motivated. Music is everything to me when it comes to exercise.

STEP AEROBICS

Right before Dick’s temporarily shut down several months ago, I bought this step before I was clear on what I was going to do with it. I just knew that I’ve always LOVED step aerobics classes as long as the music was on point, but I’ve yet to find a class locally that played the kind of music that I like to work out to. I searched YouTube far and wide and just couldn’t quite find a full-length class that resonated with me both energy and music wise. Desperate, I even contacted a high-school classmate (who was also our Drum Major) to see if she’d be willing to create a virtual class for me and anyone else who wanted to participate. Unfortunately, we were never able to connect, but right afterwards a class popped up in my timeline showing Keith giving a one-on-one step class to Elise Neal. From there, I was convinced that he and I were destined to (virtually) meet. You can read more about him in a recent DREAM GIG interview I conducted.

At first I thought I should have looked for another option that included more than one step. However, now that I’m getting back into the groove, one step is JUST ENOUGH.

Here’s a sneak peak into Keith’s step classes (although every class is different). All I can say is have your water bottle near! You will definitely get a good workout (it hurts so bad, but it feels so good). And for those who dread this kind of class like my best friend, the beauty is that you’re in your home (or wherever you choose to be) and no one has to see you (no gym equipment necessary). When I’m feeling like giving up, I remind myself that I can just turn the camera off and rough my way through the remainder of the workout with no judgement.

So far, I’ve taken his Cycle, Step, Kickboxing, Abs + Peach, Bootcamp and Yoga classes—sometimes several in one day! It’s clear that Keith genuinely wants to see people walk away feeling like the 45 minutes to one hour with him was time well-spent—even from a shelter-in-place ZOOM screen. It has been fun watching husbands and wives, mother and daughters, friends and siblings (and even kids attached to their mother’s hip) following along with his routines. I love that Keith offers unlimited monthly classes (or drop-in for those unable to commit).

PELOTON APP ON-DEMAND CLASSES

One of the great things about having this bike is that I’ve had the opportunity to explore a range of fitness classes that I otherwise wouldn’t have been interested in (away from home, that is). Peloton was offering a 90-day free trial but it’s now back to 30 days. Either way, it’s a great way to access classes in the following categories: Cycling (of course), Bootcamps, Strength Training, Yoga, Running, Stretching and Meditation. So far, I’ve enjoyed Cycling, Stretching and the Meditation classes. I referenced what using the sleep meditation app has helped me to achieve here.