Hi Fellow Inmates!
Back in September I did 21 days. I thought I was going to absolutely dread it and felt very anxious in the days leading up to my return to Hong Kong and my eventual incarceration. (I would suggest not spending too much time on the Facebook Quarantine Support group page. Reading all the horror stories did my head in!) But with some preparation and the help of my friends, I actually ended up really enjoying my 3 weeks.
When I am not locked up, my main form of exercise is swimming. But obviously swimming in the shower or bathtub was out of the question, so I used rubber tube bands that were hooked over my door to simulate pulling. I was able to work on my stroke and get a sweat going.
I also brought my trusty TRX, which is a great piece of portable equipment. All you need is a door. There are a variety of TRX bodyweight workouts online that you can follow. It is also great for stretching. I use it to stretch out my shoulders and chest, as well as my gluts, back and obliques.
I also ordered a treadmill (lots of places rent treadmills, walking pad and stationary bikes). I walked and ran 4km a day, which isn’t too much, but I did manage to push the speed up to a hard sprint for the last few minutes and get my heart rate up.
I was lucky that my Hong Kong apartment was being looked after by a friend of mine and he graciously lugged over my 12.5kg dumbbell and a 16kg kettlebell. Since he delivered them, I had to use them. I found a great series of stylish YouTube workouts online by the talented trainer Caroline Girvan who made the Epic I, II, III workouts. Some were shorter 15-minute workouts targeting arms, core, or legs, and some were full body and 45 minutes long.
In addition to the TRX and weights, I had a yoga mat and a jump rope, so I had a lot of variety and was never bored. During my time locked up, one of my fellow inmates in my hotel was a yoga teacher. She ran a few Zoom yoga classes that were quite popular. At times, I felt I was on a cruise ship, with activities offered every day!
As fitness is very important to me, I also worked out with my personal trainer who put me through my paces a few times a week via WhatsApp. Having a trainer is a bit of a luxury, but it does make you get off your ass and move around when you are paying someone to tell you what to do.
Whether you are just looking to do a bit of light yoga or get super fit, quarantine is actually a great place to work on yourself. It’s not an excuse to just eat bad food and feel sorry for yourself.