We are socked in lockdown mode in Newfoundland and Labrador. We had been doing well. Fewer than 390 cases around the 1st of February, and then boom — almost three weeks later, we doubled that number with an outbreak of COVID-19 variant B.1.1.1.7. and the number of cases on Feb 18 is at 803.
Our chief medical officer of health was swift and decisive. Once we knew there was a significant outbreak the city locked down in what the MOH called a circuit breaker. Two days after that, once the variant was confirmed, the whole province shut down.
Yes, we had been doing well. I had returned to working with my trainer in the summer. I had missed the gym during our first wave. I missed the weights. The bar. The bands. All of it. I was glad to go back with just me and my trainer, six feet apart. Doing all the right things.
And now I am not in the gym and I expect that will be on hold for a while. What isn’t on hold is my training. No, I did not invest my own set of plates and barbells. I gathered up the various bits and bobs I have collected over time — a skipping rope, a yoga belt, TRX bands, an ab wheel, some kettlebells etc, and in a scene reminiscent of the film Apollo 13, I sent a snap to my trainer and said here’s what I have — what can we do with it? In another, I sent a list of all the exercises I could remember to do without prompting.
And now, I’m back. My trainer built me a plan, even using the odd terms I adopt to remind myself what an exercise looks like. I have a checklist, I have a plan, I even have two small portable whiteboards that I can write out my activity work for each day. I also have a good supply of dry erase markers in different colours so I can tick things off with joy and funky colours.
It’s the little things, and the big things. When I saw how likely it would be for Lockdown 2.0, I noticed I was stressed, but I was not anxious. Unlike last March when we had so little information, now we have a lot. Lockdown still isn’t a picnic but we have tools and we can make do quite well. It’s not the same, but it’s fine for what we must do to be safe and well. And I’ll take getting closer to fine over anything else. Even if I have to use a foam roller to get me there.
