Triathletes’ advice amid lockdown: Remain active, do chores as exercise
MANILA, Philippines—Sporting activities have basically shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic but that doesn’t mean staying active needs to take a pause too.
Triathletes are used to the outdoors since their sport demands vast expanses to go swimming, biking, and running, but the lockdowns didn’t stop them from maintaining their active lifestyle.
The likes of IronMan professionals August Benedicto, Sam Betten, and Dimity Lee Duke all had their basic routine taken away from them but they knew they had to adapt to the new normal.
Luke said that they don’t necessarily have to purchase workout equipment to get their blood flowing as doing simple activities as house chores can do the work.
“I didn’t have access to a gym so I’ll just lift heavy objects around the house,” said Luke, who flew back home to Australia before travel restrictions were put in place, during an Alaska IronMan press conference on Wednesday. “I know kids don’t enjoy these things but doing chores is good for the body.”
“Vacuum the floor or wash the car, and you’d be surprised how much you’ve worked with just actively moving around,” added Duke.
Benedicto, who is considered as the best Filipino triathlete, said that he’s aware of the predicament in the Philippines with lockdowns here and there but he advised those staying at their homes to still remain active.
Now based in Germany with his family, Benedicto echoed Duke’s advice.
“It’s harder in the Philippines [compared here in Germany] because of the lockdown, if you have a wide enough backyard maybe you can run laps around it. If you want weights then you can put a gallon of water in a bottle,” said Benedicto in Filipino. “I’ve been doing band training since the pools are still closed and the simple activity of mopping the floor will work out your arms.”
“You can also scrub the floor using a coconut husk and you won’t even notice that you’ve been doing it for 30 minutes or one hour. That alone will work out your legs and you’ll lose weight with it.”
Betten said that he’s started running outside since Australia has relaxed some of its restrictions but he’s been doing it by himself since he knows that social distancing should still be observed.
“It’s definitely a different time and now I’ve been doing a lot of open water swimming since the pools are still closed,” said Betten. “I go for a run by myself because this is a different time in the world so we’re adapting. Everyone has a responsibility.”
Betten added that the situation may be different from what was once normal, but he reminded those at home to focus on the brighter side of things.
“Focus on what we can do rather than taking the negative. We just have to stay happy and positive,” Betten added.
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