By Jason Donaldson
PSE Director of Training

1) Go for a walk, run, ride, swim in the ocean/lake/river or a hike. If you’re not self-isolated, in lockdown/quarantine, there are plenty of things you can do outside that don’t involve close personal contact. Plus, sun and fresh air are essential for your health.

2) Don’t sit on the couch. Sit on the floor. I guarantee you’ll move more.

3) Make yourself a standing desk. Use boxes, books, stacks of toilet paper…. whatever you have available to get what you’re working on to a useable height.

4) Fill a back pack or duffle bag with anything heavy, books, bricks, bottles of water, small children (jokes! 🤣). Lift said back pack/duffle bag filled with heavy things. Take it from the ground to overhead. Squat it. Lunge with it. Row it. Drag it across the floor. Hold a plank and drag it from side to side. Hold it to your chest then get down and back up again. Move it any which way you can.

5) Move yourself in as many different ways as you can. Try to accumulate 10,000 steps a day. Yes, even if you’re stuck at home. There was a guy in Spain, I think, who completed a Marathon on his balcony! Walk in place while watching TV if you have to. Do squats, burpees, lunges, step ups, push ups, dining table rows, handstands against a wall, door frame pull ups (if you AND it are strong!)… there are many different ways to move yourself. There are no rules. You’re only limited by your imagination. Hit Google, You Tube or the PSE video library for inspo.

6) Do some mobility or stability work. You know the stuff you suck at? The things you’ve been avoiding? Those rehab exercises you should have done? Do them! Now is the perfect time.

7) Your gains won’t disappear overnight. Strength and aerobic efficiency will hang around for quite a while. Power will diminish the quickest over a few weeks, so be sure to include some jumps, hops, change of direction (think, Heidens / Speed Skaters, Shuttle Runs, Dot Drill etc) and throws into your training where possible.

8) Do some Intermittent Hypoxic Training. You know the Pulmonary Warm Ups we do? Use them as a workout. Just add a few more sets. Make up your own. Do some work, exhale, hold, keep working. Recover your breath or simply take X breaths. Rinse and repeat.

9) Do some Static Apnea Tables. Check out the videos here and here that take you through how to set these up. Start with CO2 tables and do those for a minimum of 3x week (preferably everyday, but no more than once per day) for 6-weeks before switching to O2 tables. You can create your own tables using the instructions in the videos or simply use one of the many Apps available. I use one called STAmina.

In times like these it’s very easy to say, “nope, I’m not going to bother.” But staying active is important for your physical AND mental health.

When the Zombies come, are you going to be ready? #jokingnotjoking