Fear. Anxiety. Disappointment. Despair.

These are words that easily described the way many of us felt when the Coronavirus began to have a drastic impact on our lives. At first, it was just something we heard about on the news. It wasn’t something that would affect me or my family unless we got it… so I thought.

7 Ways you can turn your quarantined days into a beneficial season of training_

Then it happened. They labeled it a pandemic. COVID-19 officially infiltrated the United States and began to affect us all, whether we had the virus or not.

Activities, events, and social gatherings began getting cancelled. The government shut down schools, gyms, restaurants, malls and movie theaters. Panic began to set in and there was no more toilet paper to be found anywhere.

I felt it too. I felt the panic, the anxiousness, and the depression. It was hard not to wonder what would happen next with Covid-19.

I even began to get a little depressed. It’s hard not to in times like this. Honestly, like you, I started making a mental list of everything that this was impacting.

You can’t see the people you love. Events and trips that you’ve been looking forward to are cancelled or postponed.

Your race you’ve been training for is now cancelled. The bodybuilding show you finally dared to compete in has too. Your seasonal sport has come to an end, or never started at all. So now what?

Like you, this hit me hard.

What should you do? How can this time be used as a benefit to your goals and training instead of a set-back?

Here are 7 Ways you can turn your quarantined days into a beneficial season of training:

1. Focus on the little things.

We get so focused on the race, competition, game and all our other goals that we forget to focus on the little things. Little things like flexibility, muscle symmetry, and that nagging pain you’ve had in your right hip all year. Now is the time to pause and to focus on the little things that make a big difference.

2. Strip it back and build a stronger foundation.

Many forget that you have to continue to go back and build a stronger foundation as you progress forward. Use this time to use bands to build strength in your stabilizers, to build a stronger foundation in your diet and to work on your flexibility and range of motion.

3. Rest to prevent and heal overuse injuries.

That pain you’ve had in your shoulder or hip? Yes, that’s an overuse injury. Use this time to rest that injury and allow it to heal. Use the extra time you have in the mornings to stretch and improve your flexibility now that you don’t have to sit in your car and commute to work daily.

4. Still run your race!

You have been training for that marathon for months now. When the day comes, run it! Map out the 26.2 miles and run it so you can still experience the accomplishment.

5. Eat better.

Now is the time to take advantage of being home so you can improve your diet. Being busy is no longer an excuse. Not having the time to cook is no longer true. Using this time to improve your diet will drastically improve your performance when the time comes.

6. Build better habits.

Building new habits can be difficult, but right now we are all building new habits and routines. Why not use this time to build habits that will improve your health and your training? We are all being forced to change to a new kind of “normal”, using this time to build and create new habits will give you the advantage you’ve been looking for!

7. Get help and build a stronger support system.

Have you been trying to conquer your goals alone? Everyone needs a support system. We are now offering virtual training as an option for clients so we can help you continue to make progress towards your goals during this time.

What better way to make this time work for you then to implement the strategies above! It’s time for you to take advantage of this season! Are you ready? Contact us today to learn more about how our M3 Team Partners can help you claim a victory during this quarantine through virtual training.