Fitness Tips From The Sox Crew

Staying fit during the lockdown has its challenges but the Sox Crew shared some fitness tips and training advice on how they are motivated to exercise and how you can train at home with little to no equipment.

HB Kruger –  Professional Road Cyclist 

How are you staying fit during the lockdown?

I’ve been quite active during the lockdown and one thing that has helped me stay fit is definitely Zwift. So a good indoor trainer, my bike and some internet go a long way over these 5-weeks. There is quite a variety of routes, exercises and the occasional virtual race that I like to throw in my weekly training schedule. I’ve also been doing some off the bike exercises with resistant bands and bodyweight exercises. 

What 3 exercises would you suggest doing at home? 

Off the bike I would suggest the following:

• Stretching; a good 30-45min stretch can make you feel quite good for the rest of the day. Especially when we are confined to our homes and not getting out as much as we do. 
• Mountain climbers for 1minute; a good way to get the glutes active and raise the heart rate a bit.
• Single leg lunges. 15 per leg with one foot on a bench; works well to focus on your balance and keeping your knees steady. 

Yolandi du Toit – Professional Mountain Biker

How are you staying fit during the lockdown?

Here are a few tips to get the most out of your indoor training sessions:

1. Have a goal

Without a goal, there is very little reason to put yourself through the discomfort of training. Your goal can be widely defined; such as training to stay healthy, or it can be very specific like bettering a PB or hitting a certain power for a specified cycling time. Whatever it is, find a goal, write it down and keep it in the back of your mind as motivation in the weeks ahead.

2. Get dressed

Every journey starts with a single step and when you make the effort to suit up properly for your training you’ve taken a big step in the right direction. It gives you a sense of purpose and from there it’s all about putting one foot in front of the other and sticking to your plan.

3. Mixed it up

Obviously on-the-bike training is critical if you want to perform on the bike, and if you can but when this is not an option, look at becoming a better all-round athlete by incorporating cross-training into your week. 

What 3 exercises would you suggest doing at home? 

Some exercises you can try:

• Plank: Hold a plank for 60 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat. If 60 seconds feels too easy then hold it longer but make sure to hold your form.
• Supermans: While standing on your hands and knees extend opposite arm and leg and hold for 10 seconds. Do 2 sets of 10 on each side.
• Supine Cycling: Lie on your back and lift 1 knee while keeping the opposite leg straight. Alternate legs with 2 sets of 20 reps per leg.
• TA Activation: On your back, lift your hips off the ground in a line; lift your legs, one at a time. Do 2 sets of 20 reps
• Side Plank: Hold this bridge for 60 seconds. Repeat each side

Timo Cooper – Professional Mountain Biker

How are you staying fit during the lockdown?

Luckily these days with social media and/or virtual training applications it is very possible to stay fit during times like these if you have access to it obviously. I think a lot of active individuals will do too much during this time and actually come out of lockdown fatigued, injured or just generally over the activity they enjoyed before lockdown. I am will spend some time on the bike to keep active, but mostly I am going to take this time to work on my pedal stroke, core strength and other aspects of riding that I might struggle with.

What 3 exercises would you suggest doing at home? 

Gym session

1. 20x pushups

2. 1min plank (can be split into 2x30sec)

3. 40 pulse squats – jump on every 5th one

4. 20x CrossFit sit-ups

5 15x triceps dips

Tiffany Keep – Mountain Biker & All-Rounder  

How are you staying fit during the lockdown?

Staying fit and active during lockdown is easy if you use a little creativity to fuel your motivation.

I am maintaining fitness through the use of Zwift, a virtual cycling platform where you can ride with other people from across the world on a variety of different routes. This platform allows me to continue my training despite not being allowed outside, and also keeps it interesting. Aside from Zwift, I have been doing home gym workouts several times a week, including some cross-training in the form of skipping and a bit of balance work.

What 3 exercises would you suggest doing at home? 

My advice to other people out there also wanting to stay active would be to start with simple at-home core exercises, like pushups, lunges, squats, skipping and planking, for example. Each of these exercises uses only bodyweight (no extra weights required) and can be done in a number of minutes. I would suggest doing them earlier in the morning, to start the day off on a good note. They are not complicated exercises, but sure pack a punch! You can do as many reps/ do the exercise for as long as you wish, and can progress upwards from there, slowly increasing the number of reps or the time as the weeks go by. 

An active lifestyle leads to a healthy mind, and you’ll find you’ll feel much better after a daily dose of exercise. All the best!