First in a series

While the enforced community quarantine has nearly everyone tearing his hair out, the physically active among us continue to move. They find ways to include any physical activity in their daily routine, like gardening, to avoid bingeing.

Others have turned everyday household items into workout equipment, like tequila bottles in place of weights.

Here’s what some fitness junkies are doing to stay in shape while in quarantine:

Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez, model and accessories designer

I do engage in physical fitness almost every day, varying my activities from walking and running, to yoga and weight training. Maybe some gardening and spring cleaning, too, for some additional sweat and raised heartbeat.

I’m fortunate to live in a midsized community which advocates and encourages all residents to remain active and healthy, so we are allowed to walk our dogs or do a little jogging and biking while observing rules such as wearing masks, proper social distancing, sanitizing and following regulated schedules within our neighborhood. We all understand that keeping healthy is a way to protect ourselves and each other from getting ill.

We have a few pieces of workout equipment, and they work well for our daily goals—a few dumbbells, exercise bands, a couple of mats and a wooden bench as a makeshift workout bench.

Oh, plus a mobile device to follow a yoga class on YouTube. Doing this most afternoons with my husband and kids had become a daily highlight for me. It lifts my spirits and draws me out of the occasional anxieties I experience because of the pandemic.

Apart from closely watching my physical health, I try to take care of my other faculties. Keeping hopeful and humane by exercising a life of empathy and charity, as well as living an attitude of gratitude through prayers and quiet moments, keep my sanity healthy and intact. Nightly family Rosary prayers and online Masses provide the faith that is much needed at this time. God is in control.

Ani de Leon-Brown, triathlete and coach

Luckily, I have a bike trainer set up at home, which means I can pretty much bike for a few minutes to a couple of hours in the safety of my home. I also do some body weight exercises and have been doing some yoga via online classes. I alternate these physical activities so that not every day is hard. It is not wise to over-train and tax your immune system at this time.

I realize not everyone has this arrangement, but I would like to suggest the simplest things people can do if they do not have any equipment—body weight exercises, stair climbing, jumping and running in place, lifting household objects such as big water jugs, etc.

The one thing I have been doing more intensively these days, since I am just at home, is meditation. I used to do it once a day, and maybe not every day of the week at that. But now I have deepened my practice, also with the help of my online meditation group. This is something that keeps me even more fit and healthy. Being spiritually fit, I believe, means you are able to do everything else with more clarity, compassion and purpose.

Rajo Laurel, fashion designer

I am quite fortunate that I was able to quarantine myself away from the city. I am in Nasugbu, Batangas, and have been here for more than three weeks. Our place is pretty isolated and we’re practically the only people here for miles. We alternate our activities, either taking an early vitamin D hike, swimming, online Zumba classes or online yoga, and my partner brilliantly bought bikes before the lockdown, so we ride around our area for an hour or so.

I never take online classes, and I usually go to a Pilates class and a spin class at Ride Revolution. So being creative while on lockdown was key. We have only one yoga mat here, so we use either towels or a banig. We follow this Korean Zumba instructor, and I join Rosan Cruz’s yoga classes.
My partner and I are pretty creative, so he discovered a great talent for ikebana, and I have been cooking up a storm. We’re also taking online classes and learning Japanese.

Juana Yupangco, founder, Mesa ni Misis

When the lockdown started, I immediately asked my trainer of 10 years, Mitch Felipe, if we could work out online. I’m healing from nerve damage to my leg, so workouts help me to keep it strong and get back to normal. I didn’t want to stop.
I work out six times a week with my husband Rick, and we make the kids join us, too, to burn energy. My sister and two other friends join us for online workouts. They are much harder than face-to-face workouts as there are no breaks and no time to complain!
I’ve also discovered local workout brands that are fun to wear for at-home workouts, and they still deliver! My favorite is INEX Active because of the bright colors that make me excited to work out.
Working out daily frames my day and is a great routine. I think we will all come out of this stronger!

Lilianna Manahan, freelance product designer

During the quarantine period, I make sure I have a schedule and stick to it, and go about the day like any other day. This includes exercise in the morning. The workout is a mix of cardio, body weight and some light weights to keep the heart rate up and the body strong and toned.
I also make sure I eat clean (inspired by my sister, Juana, who heads Mesa ni Misis, a platform for a healthy, plant-based living). I make sure my plate has 80 percent greens and 20 percent protein. I eat clean and in moderation, so even if we’re locked down, our bodies are in good shape.

Phoemela Baranda, model/actress

Motivation is a big factor in being proactive. Now I’m learning and practising how to meditate so I can be more focused and attentive to what I have to do each day.

I try to follow my usual schedule—work and then workout. I combine different types of exercise, something I haven’t done before, so I don’t get bored. Monday would be jump ropes, for example; Tuesday, Nike Training Community (NTC); Wednesday, shadow boxing; Thursday, yoga (@igobeyondyoga); Friday, Team Impack full-body workout (@impack_); and weekends, just stretching. There’s a lot of free online classes now, so take advantage of them.

I turned my dining area into my gym, yoga studio and boxing ring. I’ve used bottled water, canned goods or tequila bottles as weights. I had to improvise. We can’t avoid getting bored, and it’s okay to get bored. It motivates me to do and learn something new.

I try to list down the things I want to learn. Now I have the time to do it. There are so many apps and online classes. I’m surprised I don’t have that much time for Netflix anymore. INQ

(To be continued)