How to stay motivated in lockdown?
With the return to netball in the UK uncertain, it can be hard to stay motivated to train for your sport or even exercise at all. As you sit on your sofa, about to finish the final packet of biscuits you found squirrelled away in the back of your cupboard and you become so engrossed in your Netflix binge that you’ve forgotten what day it is (we’ve all been there), THINK! If they announced that netball will return tomorrow, would you be ready?
This isn’t about shaming you into exercise, or making you feel guilty for eating your parent’s out of house and home, it’s about finding the time and motivation to get back to doing something you really love and feeling 100% better for doing it.
So, how can you stay motivated in lockdown? Joe Wicks set himself a target to become the ‘Nations PE teacher’ and he achieved it! Silly outfits aside, he kept millions of people motivated to move in their front rooms for weeks of lockdown. Now we have the freedom to be outside, meet with our teammates and even hire courts; there are so many more opportunities for us to get back to the game and be ready to step out onto the court as soon as they say GO! So let’s get motivated to train and get back to doing what we love.
Top Tips for Staying Motivated in Lockdown
Create a training bubble
Training alone can be dull, but when there are a group of you working together it becomes so much more exciting and maybe even competitive. Set up a WhatsApp group with your teammates and arrange a day and time each week to train together. This could be over zoom or even in a park (socially distanced of course!) When you know there are other’s relying on you to show up, it becomes harder to say no!
Plan your week
When you rely on your sleepy brain to think of a session at the spur of the moment, it is much easier to just think ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’. Planning your sessions in advance means that all the hard work is already done and all you need to do is do it. Try setting aside 10 minutes on a Sunday night and plan your sessions for the week. You’ll start the week ready and enthusiastic to get them done. Follow @netballexcellencetraining for lots of free training and session ideas.
Take time to rest
Over exercising is just as bad as not exercising at all. Not only do your muscles need time to repair in order for you to see the benefit from your training, but if you train without rest you will very quickly become demotivated. Set aside time in your week for slow movement such as yoga or even a walk. You’ll feel even more ready to hit the session the next day!
Mix it up
Running 5km every day isn’t going to make you into an athlete, but just passing the ball against the wall 500 times a day isn’t going to help you either. Mix up your training to ensure you include speed, agility, strength and endurance training. This will keep it fun but also get you better results.
Immerse yourself in the game
Whether it’s on socials, YouTube, Podcasts or even Magazines (great start on reading this), immersing yourself in the world of netball will remind you how much you love the game and make you even more motivated to get out there. The ANZ league has also just restarted on Sky Sports so now is the perfect time to watch the athleticism of the game down under.
So it’s settled. Go grab your favourite notebook and start planning your week. Start slowly with only a couple of sessions a week and then build as you start to feel fitter and more motivated. Have a look at the @netballexcellencetraining session below for inspiration.
