Preparing for GCQ

Most of us do not like to be locked up. Or, maybe we like staying indoors, but we don’t want to be told that we have to. It’s one thing that you want to stay indoors, it’s another that you’re forced to. However, since we don’t have much choice in the matter (unless you want to challenge your immune system or be jailed for breaking the rules), we might as well make the most out of this period to prepare for the General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

What is General Community Quarantine? It is the more, relaxed version of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) that allows individuals of certain categories to go out for work or to purchase essentials, and businesses of specific nature to operate. I won’t bore you with definitions, but here are the main differences between the two.

If you’re between ages 21-59 (and low-risk), then you may be able to have a somewhat “normal” life after Mat 15th. I know that this may seem liberating, and you may feel privileged, but it’s actually a responsibility. Since no one else in your family is allowed to go out, it is your duty to keep them safe. Therefore, you have to take good care of your health to keep your family COVID-free. If you are the breadwinner of the family (or you’re to become the breadwinner because you’re the only one who’s age-qualified to go out and work), then that’s an added responsibility on your shoulders.

Since you still have 15 days before the new normal becomes effective, then you want to prepare your body physically and mentally for the “journey.” The best way you can do this without spending anything is through SURPRISE SURPRISE –exercise.

If you check the internet for the “best exercises you can do at home”, you will be utterly overwhelmed. You may spend hours browsing the internet instead of using that time to actually exercise. Therefore, what you need is a plan.

One of the best free workout apps I found that involves workout planning is Nike Training Club. As Manulife said, your best life begins with a plan. So, if you can’t (or don’t want to) create workout routines of your own, these apps will do it for you based on your time, goal, and level. Nike Training Club was ranked 2nd in the top workout apps that match the exercise guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In other words, it’s really good. (If you’re curious as to what the 1st on their list is, it is Johnson & Johnson’s 7-Minute workout app. Of course, I’ll try this app as well and give you my two-cents in my next blog.

So, how does the Nike Training Club app work? When you sign up for this app (can be done using your Google or Facebook login), you will be asked to rate your activity level:

Once you have logged in and added your health data (age, gender, weight), you can get started on a plan by going to Workouts > Plans. If you haven’t chosen one already, you’ll be asked to pick on a plan based on your goal, time, and activity level. If you haven’t tried this app before, go for the Start Up plan. After selecting a plan, you will fill in other details that can help the app set up a schedule for you:

The app will generate a plan for you. The schedules are totally flexible, so you can move them around if you needed to go out on grocery-duties on a Saturday and couldn’t work out that day.

Once you have completed one plan, you can move on to more complex routines. You can also choose random workout routines if you feel like exercising, for example, your glutes for that day. Some plans have repeat-based workouts, some have time-based workouts. I personally prefer repeat-based ones since you’re motivated to really complete the count. I also like the fact that you’ll have to check off each workout after you’ve completed them. It gives me a feeling of reward.

The app also provides badges for milestones reached. Being a fan of positive reinforcement, it really works for me.

If you’re not a fan of apps, then you can always rely on YouTube for guidance. There are quick HIIT routines that you may find useful. You may find yourself gasping for breath at the end of it, but HIIT workouts are really effective in improving metabolism, strengthening your muscles, and boosting your immune system.

According to the Business Insider, one must have at least 2.5 hours of physical activity classified under moderate-intensity or 1 hour and 15 minutes of high-intensity physical activity every week to be healthier. This should be further combined with muscle-strengthening routines to improve overall physical health. Therefore, you can do 15-minute HIIT exercises for at least five times a week, then perform strengthening exercises like core workouts with it. If you’re feeling a bit more energetic, you can also do burpees to get more calories burned and more muscles worked out. Note that burpees are one of the best exercises to improve your lung capacity.

Of course, people want to take this time to relax and calm their minds. A common perception of people on workouts is that they’re stressful and effortful to do. However, if you think about the time we spend on social media, 30 minutes of working out aren’t too much of a sacrifice of your downtime. They also improve your overall move (and even productivity) throughout the day. When you get your blood flowing early in the day, you would have more energy to do other things, like uncluttered your cloths or redesign your living room.

If you don’t like exercising in the morning, you can work out in the hottest hours of the day. I know it seems counterintuitive because you’ll be all sweaty at 3 PM, but isn’t it better to be drenched in sweat after burning those lunch calories than be perspiring while static in the heat? Then, after your intense work out, you can take a nice, cold bath and feel more energized for the rest of the afternoon. I promise; you’ll have more concentration to finish that book you’ve been keeping in your shelves for too long if your brain is well-oxygenated. This will also eliminate the temptation for you to just stay on your couch while binge-watching your favorite series (that you’ve probably watched more than once already) and not to take a bath anymore.

It takes 21 days (at least) to form a habit, so strive to really be physically active weekly (or even, daily, with twice a week rest days). Don’t stop until your body actually misses exercising; this means that you are actually loving the routines now, and you don’t regard them anymore as weekly torture. Trust me, when exercise feels more of a habit than work, it can easily be part of your lifestyle, and you won’t ever have to worry about catching your breath after taking 4 steps up the stairs.

I’m far from being lean or toned, but I’ve tried these tips, and they are working for me little by little. For someone who got rejected from dance presentations because of her absolute lack of flexibility and someone who can’t even do proper squats at 25 years old, I’ve really seen and felt a significant improvement in myself over the past few months. I know that most individuals’ end goal for exercising is to have a beach bod, but since we can’t really go to beaches until only God knows when, then you can have a new and more practical goal: to be more prepared and have a better COVID-19 preparation and survival chance when the doors finally open for GCQ.