5 Tips for Staying Active Without a Gym

Advice from fitness experts on how to keep fit outside, online, or with the help of a trainer during COVID gym closures

Exercise has always been a healthy way for me to cope with stress, especially around the holidays. Negotiating differing family expectations, on top of managing the demands of a career, plus children’s needs, then meal prep, and managing the stream of endless gifts, make holidays a stressful time in any year. Layer on the gravitational demand of the pandemic and the quicksand can really start to consume you. If you’re like me and use exercise as an antidote to stress, the news about gyms being forced to close, yet again, likely made you throw up your hands in surrender.

Fortunately, as a Kinesiologist I am well-versed in alternative ways to stay active without access to a gym. Gyms might be shut down, but that doesn’t mean your plan to stay active has to. These restrictions were handed to gym-goers because the government knows that as strong and healthy individuals, you are capable of managing unexpected change. Behaviour changes before beliefs, so rather than convincing yourself that you can adjust to this shift in venue, just get moving- your beliefs will follow soon enough. 

Keep reading for 5 quick tips to help you stay active without a gym. 

1. Go Online 

I love natural movement, so it seems obvious that I loathe being stuck in front of a computer. If you’re a movement person like me, you probably also hate the idea of going online to stay active. But if you want to stay active the variety of options available online takes the cake. Remember you can change your behaviour before your beliefs, so whether you are mentally all-in or not, just head online and get moving. Remember your intention is to stay active throughout these gym closures so now practice a bit of tunnel vision for a moment and decide what you would like to spend your time doing. 

Sarah McFadyen, the Kinesiologist behind MoveHappy offers this advice to newcomers to the online movement world,

“Remember, it’s about getting your body moving and taking care of you that matters. Investing in your health is the best investment you’ll ever make, including investing in a remote exercise and wellness program that will support you and your health goals.”

The abundance of online options for staying fit can easily push you into a frozen state of overwhelm. Before you blindly search, ask yourself a few questions to narrow you’re your options:

1. Identify what type of activity you want to do, have the room for, and the supplies to do. Do you want to do yoga, strength training, pilates, cardio, barre, martial arts, or sport-specific training?  

2. Do you want on-demand options you can do on your own schedule or would you prefer to live stream classes that offer accountability and a touch of social connection? 

3. Do you want to support the charming offerings of a local business or have a perfectly curated workout from a recognized fitness pro?

My preference is to support locals when I can. Most local gyms that boast a welcoming and supportive community as part of their perk of membership will be offering online services at this time. This is a great way for you to stay (or get) connected and to recognize their sustained effort to help you achieve an active lifestyle. 

Below I have shared a few options to check out (some big-wigs and some local fit pros): 

Live Stream: 

Move Happy . Dodge City Fitness  . Peleton . Obe Fitness

On-demand:

Barre3 . Kaisa fitness . Wild and United . Aligned Movement . Aaptiv . The Class . movementRX

2. Play Outside

Outdoorsy parents will often say, “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”. Now is the time to practice what you preach, so layer up and get outside.  It may be impossible to follow your usual routine, but you can still meet your main intention of being active. A brisk walk, run, or bike outside combined with some bodyweight exercises (squats, lunges, dips, push-ups) will be enough to get your heart pumping, your muscles working, flush out the grumpy cortisol, and welcome the happy endorphins.

If you are going to take this opportunity to head deep into the great outdoors I strongly suggest you spend some time researching how to prepare for a safe and fulfilling trip. Kristine Krynitzki, the founder of a platform called Hikes Near Vancouver, suggests leaving a trip plan with a friend and outlines the 10 essentials to adventuring safely. Check out her website to ensure you stay active, safely.   

3. Try a New Activity  

Consider this the kick from behind that you needed to join something new. How many local activity groups do you follow on Facebook that you have never made an appearance at in real life? Now is the time to Face your discomfort and get out there. 

Here are some ideas to get you started: 

-Join a social run group 

-Try a x-country ski lesson 

-Rent snowshoes

-Hit up the local frisbee golf course 

If you’re lucky you might squeeze in some exercise, make a few friends, and even get a taste of some much-needed novelty. Derek Kaufman runs the Comox Valley social group Run to Beer where runners meet for “a little exercise and a wee pint” at various pubs across the valley. Kaufman shared a tip for hesitant runners who are just getting started,

“The hardest part is lacing up. Tell yourself to just go for a jog around the block and be back in five minutes. Maybe you’ll surprise yourself when you are out there.”

4. Hire a Pro

Maybe these regulations have you feeling just plain stuck. Maybe you know exactly what you could do, but you just can’t seem to will yourself to do it. Maybe you have limited time for yourself? Maybe your mind is always jumping from your demanding career to your equally full-on family? There is a certain level of motivation needed to attain the last three options and there is no shame in admitting you are running on empty. 

You already know exercise is important, hence why you always schedule your gym time, roll in, and get the work done. Don’t let COVID restrictions derail your consistency, instead seek help to get you through this tricky time. Just like you are an expert in your field, even if that’s keeping the kids fed and clothed (parenting is the most demanding field!) allowing a fitness expert to take over this task could be the lifeline you need to help you crawl out from the quicksand. 

You have a few options here: 

1.   Ask a local trainer if they will come to your home and give you a workout. 

2.   Inquire if a trainer could meet you for an outdoor workout to give you some ideas of bodyweight exercises you can do on your own.

3.   Hire a trainer to give you workouts through Zoom or Facetime. 

4.   Book a consult with a trainer to help you formulate a game plan to follow until gyms reopen. 

Jared Sato owner and trainer at Ki Fitness and Health in the Comox Valley, BC knows how challenging it can be to work out at home. For clients new to exercising at home he offers the following suggestions,

“Dedicate an area of your home to training, schedule when you’ll be training ahead of time and stick to it. Let your family know your schedule to avoid interruptions. No cell phones, computers, TV, dishes, or laundry when working out. And most important… post-workout, don’t forget to celebrate!

5. Take a Break

The final option I will suggest is to take a short reprieve from being active. December is my month to rest from any fitness or running programs, so this closure matched my schedule conveniently. But a lot of athletes and exercise aficionados fail to take breaks, aside from when they are sidelined by injuries or burn-out. Schedule some downtime into your program to avoid the frustration of having to take a break when you don’t want to. 

When you read the word REST do you envision a month in the fetal position in front of the TV?  Rest doesn’t need to be so extreme. Rest time can be the perfect opportunity to explore the down training you may have been avoiding. Head over to youtube to try a yoga class, or log in to movementRX to try a functional movement meditation, or simply pull the dusty rollers out from under your bed and release (gently!) your IT bands for the first time since 2000. 

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When Dr. Bonnie Henry passed along the depressing news that gyms would have to close, she didn’t actually hand you a slip to spend the holidays in detention. Instead, she recognized that you, as an active individual, have a healthy capacity to adjust to new demands. She offered you a challenge, that you are fully capable of handling. So go on, get outside, head online, join a new group, hire a trainer, or take a few weeks to rest and recover. Before you know it you will be back to your gym routine, unless a new activity has caught your attention by then!

PS. Did you know that I am sharing 2 free movement meditations HERE (no email required)?