How (not) to Exercise During a Lockdown ~ article
GUYS!! I am beyond excited to have had my guide to exercise (and how not to exercise) published on the virtual sisterhood Clitbait, founded by two amazing women who are also students. It was originally written as a blog post, but I wanted to reach more people with this important information, so I sent the editors a draft, worked with them and now it’s ended up as an article in their “voices” section – yay ♡
How do you exercise? Is your main focus how much you are “burning”? Do you feel as though food is something you must “earn”? For a long time, thoughts of a punitive nature would pop into my head during workouts, and I unfortunately know that I am not alone. I also know that is a sad way to live life.
from “How Not to Exercise During a Lockdown” on Clitbait.co.uk
The guide covers whether you should exercise, suggestions on how you can exercise with the current government restraints on movement in mind and how to avoid triggers. Most of all I want you to become self-accepting and compassionate. These are trying times, but also an opportunity for self-growth and cultivating better self-worth.
It probably takes more than 5 minutes to read, but less than 10. Well worth it in my humble opinion, especially if you have ever thought any of the things mentioned in the short citation above.
If you are really reluctant to spend a couple of minutes looking over the guide, here are the main takeaways:
- you do not have to exercise, you do not have to get into the shape of your life or “work off” any calories consumed during this period of your life or EVER.
- not everybody should engage in strenuous exercise such as intense cardio. check your behaviours, check your state of mind, be honest with yourself, and seek help. I am always happy to talk!
- I like dancing, yoga, pilates, walking the dog and HIIT/minimal equipment home workouts – but you should do whatever you like and are able to do!
- avoiding triggers is hard. unfollow social media accounts with content which is unhelpful to you right now. know that it is within your right not to exercise, not to be working on a “summer body”. work on yourself, on recovery. there are so many more things to life than our physical appearance. again – I am always happy to talk if you have any particular struggles.
- remember to look after your health in other ways than just exercise. eat well (that includes tasty treats as well as whole plant foods). sleep well. stay in touch with friends, family, loved ones (FaceTime your pets, people!). get immersed in other activities: watching films, reading, embroidery, drawing, journalling, meditation.
- you got this.
- read the rest of the article… I promise it is good☺
The article also features gorgeous illustrations made by an artist called Caitlin Allen who I am also proud to call my friend. Her instagram is here.
As always, remember that you can reach out to me if what I write resonates with you.
Take care, stay safe and
All the love in the world,
xo Linda
