Training in the Time of Coronavirus

As we know, the COVID-19 outbreak is evolving rapidly, so as always: check with the Centers for Disease Control and your local health department websites for the most up-to-date information and guidelines in your area.

Early March and the start of the 2020 race season feel like years ago. The CDC and White House are urging Americans to work from home, avoid groups, and stay a minimum of 6 feet away from each other in public. As cities and states enact “shelter-in-place” policies, cyclists around the country are grappling with how to train, or whether they should even go outside at all.

The latest USA Cycling guidelines ask riders to forgo group rides and team meetings. On March 17, Dr. Michael Roshon, Chief of Medical Staff for the Penrose Hospital system in Colorado Springs, held a COVID-19 Q&A for USAC. He stated that “By far, the most safe thing to do is quarantine, stay in your basement, and not do a whole lot of training.”

With New York City on “pause” and a new CRCA statement that “absolutely no team/group rides, pacelining, double pacelining, etc. should be happening,” To Be Determined is embracing a few of our favorite indoor training options.

Strength Training

Winter is generally the time for strength training, but with no race season in sight and a lot of time indoors … spring is the new winter.

There are a ton of pre-built core strength sets floating around on the internet, but this Cadence Kitchen 15-minute set is a personal favorite.

If you don’t have weights in your apartment, classics like pushups, pike pushups (these are not a joke), pull-ups, single-leg (pistol) squats, and handstands can be plenty challenging, but good form is crucial. Gymnastic Bodies ($30/ month) will lead you through some of the same workouts that gymnasts do, which require little to no equipment.

If you’re looking for a challenge, try a virtual one-on-one session with one of the coaches at Transform GST (online group classes coming soon). Awaken Gym in Colorado is also posting workouts on Instagram.

YMCA is also offering free online fitness classes.

Yoga

If you aren’t moving around as much as you usually do during the day (those coffee walks at work add up), your body will thank you if you do a little stretching. Yoga with Adriene has a plethora of free videos, and as an added bonus, her blue heeler Benji is incredibly cute. Corepower Yoga is offering yoga on-demand (first week free), and be sure to check with your favorite local studios, as many are transitioning to online classes.

Meditation

The world is stressful place right now. If you’re struggling with focus (me), sleeping (also me), stress eating (still me), and motivation (right here), meditation can be really helpful. My favorite app is Headspace, which runs $70 for an annual subscription, or $7 per month when billed monthly. Unlike other apps, Headspace teaches you how to build a practice so you improve over time. Calm is also popular, and if you head to Wirecutter, you can read a full review of both.

Regardless of what you choose, consider purchasing your subscriptions directly through companies, as the Apple App Store takes a 30% cut on subscriptions.

Happy training!