World-Class Trainer Jillian Michaels’ Top 5 Fitness Tips For Lockdown

Jillian Michaels is a world-class personal trainer, author and TV personality. That sounds like the sort of person we need to talk us into a few at-home workouts. With fitness-focused Instagram Lives on the up, and a wealth of YouTube workouts at our fingertips, it should be easy as pie for us to form an at-home workout routine worthy of a PT, but that's easier said than done. Jillian is well aware of difficulties involved in forming a good workout regime at home. A lack of structure to your day might throw you off your game, or maybe your gym membership has been frozen so there's no guilt involved when you don't 'show up to class'. Whatever your reason, Jillian is sure to prove your tonic. Read on for her top tips on getting to grips with fitness in lockdown.

1. Find Your Inspiration And Motivation

‘There are two factors. Inspiration, that’s your catalyst. Then there’s motivation, the thing that keeps you going. Whether you hear something, you read something that makes you take that first step. That first step has to be followed by an educated series of actions. Start with something you love. Do you like yoga? Do you like kickboxing? Is there a fitness goal you’ve always wanted to attain? Do you want to run a 5k when this is all over and raise money for a charity that’s important to you? Whatever it is, find that inspiration and motivation, and give yourself the tools.’

2. Initiate A Routine

‘Show up for something. Commit to an online workout, there are a million great people out there offering Instagram and YouTube routines. Pick one you like. Commit to showing up for 7-10 minutes a day. This is gateway fitness. Get comfortable showing up, get into a routine. That’s the hardest part. Once you’re there you’ll find you might want to increase that time from 10 minutes to 15. You gradually build your routine into something. That way it’s tolerable from the outset, you’re not looking at something that feels daunting and overwhelming. Make it small and manageable but show up with intention, that’s the most important thing.’

3. Forget Equipment, Pick A Workout You Like

‘Let’s talk about fitness modalities. Yoga, for example, there’s a whole modality there where you can follow yoga experts and trainers online without using any equipent, they’ll do the work for you. Dancing, again, that’s effectively bodyweight training, and there’s still no equipment required. Mat Pilates too, all floor work with exercises that work your core strength. Then there’s traditional strength training, hit workouts, cardio workouts incorporating things like jumping jacks, butt kicks, the list is endless. When we look at bodyweight training and you have a band, a set of dunbells, great, but even if you don’t, you have push-ups, planks, lunges, squats, again, an endless list. You don’t need equipment. All you need is an activity you like, and you’ll show up for it. The most effective fitness technique is consistency.’

4. Realise The Impact Strength Has On Your Mind

‘Strength to me is transcendent. Physical strength gives you more confidence, more belief in your abilities to achieve in other areas, it improves your self worth and it improves your self images. I went from being an overweight kid and having a troubled home, I was the underdog. I was bullied at school, I was gay but didn’t know it, and when I got into martial arts as a kid, I found an outlet. Because of that I ended up building up my own self-respect so significantly that people stopped bullying me because of the way I was carrying myself. I began to appreciate that power of physical strength transforming my psychological and emotional wellbeing.’

‘Physical fitness will change your biochemistry. Mood, aging, energy, all of these things are intertwined. We know that from a physical perspective purely, exercise will improve and enhance your mindset, we all know exercise releases endorphins. But also the act of showing up for yourself, prioritising yourself, that’s a very powerful statement. The more comfortable you get with taking care of your health, the more these actions give you a sense of control and power, and ownership of your own life. That makes people feel less anxious and less afraid.’

5. You Do You

‘Don’t be influenced by what anyone else does, especially on social media. There is no need to post a run time! I am the crappiest runner and I’m terrible at cardio, it’s not my fitness strength. Give me a super fancy fitness move and I’ll boss it, a 5K run? I’d rather stick needles in my eyes. If you’re intimidated by all of it, opt out. You don’t owe anyone anything, you don’t have to post anything you don’t want, just post the stuff you do want. Do you.’

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