As a longtime personal trainer, I’m often asked about my current fitness regime.  I live with Type 1 Diabetes, so daily exercise is an absolute for me. It helps me manage my blood sugars and keeps my weak immune system strong.

So how am I staying fit while on lockdown?

I know that mixing in different forms of exercise will keep my body guessing, giving better results. And yeah, it can be done while exercising at home. Some days I go for long walks, taking advantage of the great weather we have in Southern California. On other days, I jump rope. I love using a jump rope! 10 minutes of jumping rope is equal to 30 minutes of jogging.

I am a firm believer in strength training. I do this at home. Resistance bands, are best because they build strength and are easy to store. There are different types of bands. I work chest, back, arms, shoulders and even my legs. For legs, I use my fabric covered bands with a door anchor. I can do hamstring curls, leg abduction and more. I use glide discs along with my mini loop bands. Not only do my legs and glutes feel the burn, but my abs are spent. This workout uses a lot of core muscles and challenges my abs in a whole new way.  Of course I throw in body-weight exercises.

There are days when I split up my jump rope time between sets of resistance band exercises to keep my heart rate up while strength training.

I have not gained weight since the lockdown. In fact, I’ve lost a couple of pounds. I am happy with where I am at.

Workouts at home have been both fun and challenging. I am enjoying new routines. My body is responding well. My blood sugars have been better than ever!

I will honestly say that my outlook is good, my moods have been cheerful and I truly feel healthy.