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With the Coronavirus now declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), triathlon events all over the world have been cancelled or postponed. The triathlon industry is not alone. All major sporting events, like F1, NHL, and the NBA, where some of its players caught the bug, are now suspended indefinitely.
The cancellation of events are all part of the actions that are strictly recommended by public health officials to contain and slow down the spread of the highly contagious disease.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
The term public health experts and government officials have been using is “SOCIAL DISTANCING”, and the measures are known to be effective in mitigating the effects of the pandemic, and are known to save lives because it will not max out the local health care system capacity. It gives time for officials, health care front liners, and the local community to be better prepared.
Some of the common social distancing measures are suspending classes, businesses setting flexible shifts or even work from home programs, and cancelling large gatherings like sport events, festivals and conferences.
Health experts said that with a pandemic, the number of infected cases will go up no doubt, but we want them to go up in a rate where all infected persons can still avail of available health care support. This is what we call flattening the curve.
Triathletes and social distancing
The measure of social distancing will only be effective if people will also think on how they keep their social interactions to a minimum. You don’t have to completely quarantine yourself at home if you are healthy, but it is smart to avoid gatherings of people specially in tight, closely packed space. You need to shop for food? Plan the trip to the grocery when it is just about to open where there will be much less shoppers.
Triathletes are a tough robust bunch that sometimes the mentality is nothing can harm them. The covid-19 virus though chooses no one and you might be infected, be a carrier and have the mildest of symptoms. But you may infect someone who will be impacted the most- like an elderly parent or grandparent who might be living with you.
How to Train amidst all the lockdwons
With races and events wiped out, triathletes are asking how can they keep the lifestyle and be socially responsible at the same time. First, you have to prioritize your own health and wellness as well as your loved ones living with you.
You do not have to shut it all down during this chaotic time, and exercise is a great way to relieve the stress, and also a means to having a good immune system. Here are some tips on how to train smartly during this coronavirus pandemic:
- Train indoors! If you have a trainer, you are set. One hour of indoor cycling typically equates to nearly 1.5 to 2 hours of outdoor effort. This would be perfect if you also have a treadmill in your home.
- You want to hit the pool? Do land-based swimming exercises with the use of stretch/cord bands.
- There are many other exercise programs you can follow online and it is good to vary it up a bit by doing non-tri workouts indoors.
- Always practice proper recovery methods after heavy blocks of training. Hard efforts has an impact on your immune system, and this is the time when you are most vulnerable to virus and sickness. Take the necessary time off. Grab the recovery nutrition and take the necessary amount of sleep.
You don’t have to stand still during this pandemic period, and abandon the triathlon lifestyle. But being healthy as you are, it is also reckless and irresponsible if you do not follow the social distancing methods our public health authorities want us to adhere to. It is critical to understand what we will be asked and required to do.
It’s not Just About You
All these measures add up, and the more we realize that we all have a part in keeping everybody healthy, the faster the pandemic will have its mitigating effects. The races and sports events will come back again, but the more mindful we are in adhering to these measures, the faster everything will come back to normal.
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