During a time when going out to exercise and doing group sports activities have been drastically limited, you may wonder how you can improve your athletic performance while staying safe at home.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous setbacks, it has also allowed us to find creative ways to stay active. It presents a great opportunity to discover the various ways technology can support our athletic journey.
Despite how limited the opportunities to practice with friends and teammates have become, there are also plenty of resources that have made it vastly easier to stay on track despite the distance.
Measure Your Progress and Goals Using the Right Devices
One thing that makes training at home so difficult is how easy it is to forego your tasks for the day and just lounge around instead. When you have a clear idea of where you currently are in your athletic journey, then you can make it easier for yourself to stay motivated.
1. Use available tools to your advantage.
Having no choice but to stay at home means inevitably having to find ways to track your progress on your own. The good thing is that there are different kinds of tools for your various needs.
For instance, baseball players can practice their pitches with just a couple of tools: a radar gun for baseball and an open space. They can record their performance and then report progress to coaches and teammates during off-seasons or when in-person training is suspended.
In general, people can also encourage and challenge each other as they train remotely through fitness apps that allow progress sharing. These social fitness apps are a great way to gamify training sessions, making them more exciting for those who may need more motivation through these difficult times.
There are also tools such as smartwatches that can track your physical activity and sleep patterns 24/7, which fitness trackers can use to offer personalized plans.
2. Have a virtual personal trainer.
One big reason remotely training with other people is motivating is that it adds a layer of accountability to your workout plans. Thanks to advancements in technology, athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and even those just seeking to live a fit lifestyle can have a virtual personal trainer who can make exercise plans to fit their goals.
Apps such as FlexIt Fitness connect users with professional fitness trainers who offer a variety of programs. The service has exercises such as HIIT, yoga, pilates, and more, along with nutritional advice and meditation practices to promote a good lifestyle.
3. Keep setting goals for yourself.
As you hone your athletic skills, motivate yourself even more by setting bigger goals as you check things off of your to-do list. Pushing yourself to achieve more goals keeps you from becoming complacent and losing the momentum you have gained.
However, it is important to keep the right perspective when pursuing your goals. See them as chances to keep growing, not as a burden or an obligation. Give yourself room to enjoy the work, too.
Make Your Health a Priority
More than reaching a goal weight or achieving a certain milestone in your sport, you should be most careful about maintaining your health. Along with fitness apps and exercise equipment, there are also self-care tools to use in your journey.
1. Give yourself a break (and use the right tools).
Everyone needs a rest day or two from their workouts. Make sure that you always leave room for this amidst your big goals to keep your bones and muscles from getting injured.
One great way to maximize your rest day is to use a massage gun to target specific body parts that need care. Percussion therapy can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, which prevents discomfort after a day of hard workouts.
Meditation apps are also helpful when you need a hand in de-stressing after a difficult day or getting a better quality of sleep to feel more well-rested for the next training day.
2. Seek out telehealth services when necessary.
Sports injuries are always a hassle, but it is sometimes hard to tell when they are serious or when they just require rest. Telehealth services connect you to a physician who can determine the gravity of your injury. High-definition video calls especially allow doctors to guide patients and provide proper assistance to detect problem areas and prescribe treatments.
Whether you are an athlete or a casual gym-goer, the wealth of fitness tools available today can help you beat the pandemic lethargy and achieve your fitness goals.