Training during COVID-19: Back to the Basics of Movement, Health & Sports Science
/Well, this is the new normal—at least for the time being. Shelter-in-place. Social distancing.
The spring sports season has been cancelled. The Olympics postponed. And schools, training facilities and gyms are closed. We find ourselves checking news sources for updates, binging on streaming services, setting up home offices, home schooling kids, learning teleconferencing platforms and sitting in virtual meetings—and, dealing with the new reality of training and working out from home.
In the past several days since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak here in the U.S., I’ve actually been encouraged to see kids throwing a tennis ball against wall and catching it, driveway hoops, what appears to be more people walking in the neighborhood—and, the social media onslaught of at-home workouts and training solutions.
It’s amazing how we get accustomed to the convenience afforded by our weight rooms and training facilities. But it’s also refreshing to go back to the basics. In essence, we are doing the exact same movements in our living room, garage or backyard as we did in the gym.
Squat | Lunge | Hinge | Push | Pull | Brace | Rotate | Jump and Land
Resistance Training Re-imagined
The difference, for some, is how these fundamental movements are being loaded—or what constitutes the resistance. For some with no equipment, body weight is the load. Squat, lunge, push-ups, pull-ups, etc. For others with a home gym set-up it remains the traditional tools of the trade—a barbell and/or dumbbells. For others, resistance bands or a kettlebell.
Thank goodness for the Movement Replacement feature in the Volt app, along with the 3 new High-Intensity Interval Training programs using body weight, dumbbells, or kettlebells. This tool allows us to replace movements based on the equipment we have access to, meaning you still get a structured workout to help you stay healthy, even outside a gym.
And then, there has also been some great resourceful, creativity and exploration of “tools” around the house, garage, basement, or backyard to load these fundamental movement patterns. Here are a few examples: gallon jug of milk or laundry detergent, crate or backpack of books or canned food, a bucket with a handle filled with sand, etc.
I’ve also seen old school yardwork workouts that include: logs for a barbell, rocks or bricks in place of a dumbbell or med ball, and a lawnmower used for sled pushes.
There are several other awesome social media posts about how people are adjusting their strength training. And, these are great reminders for everyone about how easy it is to include in daily life—now and post-COVID-19.
Again, at the end of the day (or the microcycle or training block), we should have exercised every major muscle group across all movement patterns and movement planes and included conditioning (aerobic, HIIT, sprints) with CONSISTENCY. I cannot emphasize the importance of consistency enough. Use it or lose it!
Use it or Lost it! The Concept of Detraining
There’s a classic study of the effects of bed rest (physical inactivity) and (re-)training on aerobic fitness published in 1968 by legendary exercise physiologist Bengt Saltin and colleagues. Following 20 days of bedrest for five 20-year old men, there was an average decrease in maximal aerobic fitness of 26%. Upon the initiation of training following bed rest, values rebounded to initial values and sometimes rose above initial values. The training responses following bedrest varied considerably between individuals.
[Note: Of course, some people are saying “only 5 people in the study?” Yes, considering the time, energy and resources on both the subjects and research staff, this is what was feasible at the time.]
What About Muscle?
In general, the loss of aerobic fitness occurs more rapidly than declines in muscle strength and muscle size. Muscle strength can actually be maintained somewhat (small decrease) without training for up to 3-4 weeks. Muscle atrophy or loss of muscle size starts after about 2-3 weeks.
Avoiding the COVID “15” (You know, like the Freshman “15”)!
The following meme has been making the rounds on social media. I’ve obviously put my touch on it as well—and for good reason! I know, c’mon Joe have a sense of humor. Ah yes, humor is great at this time. I totally get it. But despite the fact that COVID-19 is forefront, let’s not forget that 8.3% of deaths in U.S. (or >3 million per year) are attributed to physical inactivity (and worsened by poor diet, sleep and stress = lifestyle factors). This is just a friendly reminder as we “shelter-in-place,” there are lots of options for movement inside & out as discussed above.
And remember that the benefits of regular physical activity go well beyond the physical. Of course, some social benefits (meeting new people, etc.) will be diminished now because of social distancing, but the psychological and emotional benefits of exercise will surely aid in coping with the current situation.
Exercise and Immune Function
A final consideration to be made in this blog relates to how exercise impacts the body’s defense system and how it attacks germs and viruses like COVID-19. The immune system is very responsive to exercise, with the extent and duration reflecting the degree of physiological stress imposed by the workload.
Although we often think of exercise as being an immune booster, intense exercise (especially without adequate recovery or coupled with high stress) is associated with temporary immune dysfunction, elevated inflammatory biomarkers, and increased risk of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). I’m not saying that we should completely remove vigorous or high-intensity exercise, but many exercise physiologists and trainers are reducing the volume in this training zone during this time. And again, recovery, sleep, nutrition and stress reduction—along with the other recommendations below—are key.
The immune boosting benefits of exercise certainly come with moderate amounts of exercise (30-60 minutes) at moderate exercise intensities (60% max heart rate). On the other hand and related to the above discussion of a sedentary shelter-in-place lifestyle, sedentary individuals are at an increased risk of URTIs.
Some guidelines to reduce the risk of illness for athletes and all exercisers:
Practice good hygiene (not sharing drinks, limit hand-to-face contact, wash hands, etc.)
Limit or do not expose other athletes to infected athletes
Develop a detailed, individualized training and competition plan that also provides for sufficient recovery using sleep, nutrition, hydration, and psychological strategies.
Use small increments when changing the training load (typically less than 10% weekly).
Monitor for early signs and symptoms of over-reaching, overtraining, and illness.
Avoid intensive training when ill or experiencing the early signs and symptoms of illness (which can make the illness more severe and prolonged).
Gradually return to training following an illness. This will also be important once we begin to return to normal training and competition post-COVID-19.
Final Thoughts: Let’s Re-set and Get Back to the Basics
These are certainly unprecedented times for all of us. The last time the entire world was influenced in this manner was in the 1940s during World War II—very, very few of us were alive at that time. And certainly, almost none of us were alive during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. Of course, we cannot forget 9/11.
I’ve been thinking that there may be some good to emerge from the current COVID-19 situation. This may be a good time to re-set and return to the basics. Re-set not only our basic movement patterns and strength training regimen but also slow down; keep it local; re-connect with our neighborhood; play backyard and playground games; find simplicity and solitude; reading; self-assess who we are and what matters; appreciate humanity, etc.
And finally, let’s keep in mind the social connections that humans need to sustain quality of life. Yes, physical activity, strength training, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction and relaxation are all important to health and well-being, but when it comes down to it, the number 1 determinant of happiness and a good life is…positive social relationships. (Check out this Ted Talk). Find a way to socially connect (or re-connect) during this period of not social distancing but physical distancing.
And don’t forget to check out the new at-home workouts from Volt. We've released 3 High-Intensity Interval Training programs that leverage either a single kettlebell, a pair of dumbbells, or only bodyweight movements.
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
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Learn more about Dr. Eisenmann | @Joe_Eisenmann
