How industry leaders are trying to keep themselves and their teams fit amid Coronavirus outbreak

Usually my day starts early. By 7 am, I’m at my club’s squash courts. After 45 minutes of some high intensity play, I’m ready to take on the day. The days I miss my squash because of some early meetings are the days I feel a bit lethargic and low on energy. On Sunday, it’s golf for me. Again, an early start, around 7 am and four very enjoyable hours with friends. And some exercise, too as I end up walking 7-8 kms. Unfortunately, both activities aren’t an option these days. However, I still need my adrenalin kick in the morning otherwise I will not be productive through the day. So it is now exercise at home. Skipping to start with, then alternate days of lower and upper body gym drills. Not as exciting as my squash and golf mornings but then these are exceptional times.

I am encouraging our entire staff to maintain a regular day’s schedule even when working from home. It is very difficult to maintain the boundaries of work and family when you are at home. And the chances are that we will let our work take over all the time at home. So it's important to be conscious of this and maintain a strict, regular ‘office’ schedule. The other aspect we miss is of socialising. Going out with friends in the evenings is not an option anymore. We are into the lockdown for only a few days and there is at least another week to go, if not more. So, my suggestion to our staff is to try and meet friends virtually. I gave them the example of my drink with my buddies a couple of evenings ago to celebrate a birthday -- on Zoom. We had a gathering of twenty from across India and a couple from Singapore and Paris. It was great fun and everyone is looking forward to a repeat. And in the evening today, I am having a drink with my Leadership Team.

We are all very resilient. The way we have taken to WFH is amazing. However, I do realise that the novelty and excitement of WFH will wear off soon and fatigue may replace it. And this is largely mental fatigue. Physical health is very closely linked to mental health. So, for starters, it is important to get the exercise in. Every day. The second important thing is to split the evening into activities. For me it has been board games or cards with the family, music, reading and then TV. These weeks of isolation is also the time when we can indulge in some passions we didn’t have time for earlier. Be it cooking, learning a new language, an instrument… Not so far, for me. But let’s see how long the lockdown lasts.

Tips to stay fit while being in isolation:

1. If you have been going to the gym and know your routine then just follow it. Replace the apparatus you don’t have with free hand exercises. Skipping is excellent to get some cardio as it doesn’t take any space.

2. For those who are not aware of an exercise regimen, there are a lot of videos on the net you can follow. Be regular and disciplined.

3. Be extra careful of your diet. Boredom and time at home can lead to over-eating. Especially snacking. Resist.

4. Be useful at home. Help with the household chores. Stay active and do your share of work at home.

I used to go to the building gym but as I have a treadmill and elliptical at home, I’m still able to do my workout. Our trainer has gone virtual though, so we are also experimenting with hangouts and WhatsApp calls for the same. I'm also doing a podcast tackling just that called 'So What do we do now.'

To keep our teammates motivated, we do ask them to follow their exercises and yoga routines, a few of us at WPP did a virtual PFH (party from home). We asked them to share tips, pictures from their home, our Mumbai COO did a fun dress up day to work.

To stay fit while being in isolation, you can:

1. Use an app called Carrot or Calm. Both are very different but yet very fun at the same time. There are multiple YouTube videos and people on Instagram to follow and workout with.

2. Try and put in 5-10 mins of break between call and on device hours to stretch, walk around.

3. Have meals with the family and DO NOT TALK WORK then. Catch some sunlight.

I’ve been running marathons for the past 10+ years now, so my usual weekly routine involves 3-4 days of running and some strength training in between to build endurance. Running outside is obviously out of the question now, so that has been one significant change. I tend to do indoor workouts that I used to do in the gym before — with free weights or bodyweight routines. I also have two flights of stairs at home, so I’ve taken to stair-climbing as another activity.

The thing about working in an office is that you take mini-breaks without even realizing that’s what you do. Corridor chats, chai breaks, a stray video here or there, a walk away from your desk post-lunch. I try to do the same in my WFH routine, too. I build in the chai breaks, corridor chats with my partner (she’s got nowhere else to go either). But instead of watching videos (which is more screen time), I pick up a book. I find I can easily read 10-15 pages at a time, put it away and come back to it on my next break. I’ve also never been too much of an OTT consumer, so that helps. I have picked up Ludo on my phone recently though, and that can be addictive. I’m encouraging others to do the same — break up their days into segments that have interruptions built in for relief away from work.

In taking care of my mental health, I have an advantage. My partner is a psychologist, and she has been hosting FB Live sessions on the topic of everyday mental health in the times of the Coronavirus. I get to absorb these directly from the source on an ongoing basis. I have also had a long-standing philosophy: I don’t mind getting stretched, but I will always catch myself before I get stressed. I continue to practice that even more now.

Two tips on how people can continue to stay fit while being in isolation:

1. Just like you schedule time on your calendars for your daily meetings, slot in time for some kind of a physical workout. There are plenty of resources online to help with making this fun and interesting.

2. Don’t just stay seated (on a couch, on a bed, at a desk) while you’re working. Walk while you’re taking a call, try to find a surface that’s at a level that allows you to put your laptop on it and work while standing (if your work is on a portable computer).

I am not one for working out (Pre Covid or during). I find going to the gym boring. I’d much rather play a sport; my normal weekends are packed with it, which unfortunately has come to a grinding halt. However, I have a dog who needs to walk 5 times a day and that’s my way of getting out of the house and getting some fresh air. (I tried to get my dog to wear a mask but he just doesn’t think it’s fashionable).

As a team, we get on video calls and chat about life in general. Some very novel ways to source cigarettes have been discussed.

We started something called the Sundowners, where everyone sits with their favourite tipple and discusses the plummeting stock market and general state of doom and gloom via Microsoft Teams. It was fun until we ran out of whiskey (or whatever everyone else drinks).

Personally, I have never been more mentally stimulated. We have found time to really think about our clients’ businesses, what we can do for them in these trying times, call them just to check on them and their families, read a book, watch an Economist’s POV on life post COVID -all things we seem to ignore or push for another day.

My 3 tips on staying fit:

1. If you are like me and don’t workout, don’t use this time to become Rambo. Your body isn’t ready for a sudden shock.

2. Eat right. It’s the least one can do.

3. Try and stick to your normal routine.

In a good week before the current situation, I tried to work out at least 3-4 days a week, with a mix of brisk walks, yoga and some HIIT. Now, as I try to squeeze in an intense 2 hours of domestic chores on a WFH day, the mopping and cleaning has added up some good cardio almost every day. And now, since walks are advised against, I can now simply add a HIIT or Yoga to the chores cardio, whichever day my routine permits.

We are still trying to maintain some discipline and wrap up work by 7 in the evening. We have started online yoga classes and concerts. People in our industry feed on each other’s energy. Ideas breed with conversations and connections. Hence we are doing hangouts, MT meetings and what have you, beyond work as well.

People might have many different combinations of what works for them. For me, these three have always been a good combination, whenever I have managed them:

1. Simplify down to the basics. Let there be as little spillover as possible. Don’t over- buy, over cook, over consume, over wash. ‘More’ always creates anxiety. This is a great time to actually look at how much do we really need in life, and declutter.

2. Move the body. Stretch. Do Yoga. Lift some light weights. Take a walk if the locality permits (while of course maintaining social distancing). I usually catch a quick one, thanks to the dog walking permit.

3. Still the mind. Meditate. Hear the birds that we can finally hear in our cityscapes. Watch the bright and strong stars in the clear sky. Listen to the sounds of silence. It is truly a wonderful novelty in our city lives.

On a normal day, I hit the local park with my trainer to workout just with body weight or I am in the swimming pool getting my fix of cardio. I am missing both, especially swimming. But since I was never a gym person, I have been able to easily transition from a park to home for my exercises. Also, I have started using a wonderful mobile app that helps me follow a workout routine.

As work and home life blend in along with bring isolated, working can take its toll. We are ensuring that our teams are interacting more than ever by rolling out a comprehensive engagement program. Everyday, Tonickers are taking turns to host sessions that help all of us learn something new or be entertained. For example, on alternate days we host a Sunset Jam music session on our internal group. Similarly, someone else is teaching us to bake, gamers in our team are hosting game nights and everyone is chipping in with activities which we normally don't end up pursuing. This ensures we are all connected, talking, sharing and keeping our spirits up during these unprecedented times.

We need to stop being overwhelmed with the restrictions we may face during the period. Humans are the most adaptive species, we need to adapt. With all the fitness content available online, it’s easy to pick an exercise regime that you would enjoy and find time to do it. Since all of us are constantly on calls for work during this lockdown, make a rule to pace around the house everytime you are talking. Simple, small tasks spread across the day will help one stay fit.

To keep yourself fit, eat healthy. It’s super, super tempting to give in to junk food cravings when you’re home and there’s food always at arm’s length. But this is the time to be even more disciplined, because it’ll be harder to kick the habit once this is over if you give in now.

My workout schedule involves working out 4-5 days a week, doing a combination of yoga, functional training and running, across multiple gyms and studios through Fitternity’s OnePass subscription. Fitness has always been an integral part of my life and has been the driving force behind me and my co-founder starting Fitternity.

I also ensure I do Surya Namaskars on the days when I don't end up working out. It has been my backup workout routine for a while now. Just 20 Surya Namaskars a day helps in building a good amount of flexibility and ensures a calm mind which is much needed especially during the current times.

Along with being physically active, it is also essential to keep yourself busy and work towards being mentally strong. I make sure to take regular breaks from work and like spending time with my family, meditating, unwinding by watching movies and reading up. The idea is to utilize the time in the most productive yet enjoyable way and take each day as it comes.

Fitness is something that has to be actively pursued to maintain a healthy and happy life. With social distancing being practiced, it is very easy for people to fall prey to a lethargic lifestyle and fall astray from their journey to fitness. Below mentioned are a few tips that can help people stay focussed and fit even while being in isolation:

1. Have a fixed time to workout: It is important to crave out a particular time during the day that is dedicated to working out, in any form. This can either be the first thing in the morning or anytime during the day, but should be adhered to religiously everyday.
2. Identify what workout suits you best: Individuals should attend virtual fitness classes or watch videos from experts that will help them understand what form of exercise works best for them. They can then customise their routine.
3. Involve a family member: Workouts can also be made fun by involving a family member. Not only will it be a great way to break the monotonous workout routine but also boost up the energy level for all and help in bringing positive vibrations in the family. Dancing, Zumba or Yoga can also be done with family members.

My daily fitness routine includes 70% focus on a balanced diet and 30% focus on workouts. It includes cardio, weights, agility and strength training. Because of the current situation, all gyms are locked down. Hence, I am focusing on certain physical activity which is not helping achieve my muscle goal but some endurance training is happening.

Hula hooping is my personal favourite to stay fit during this lockdown phase. Hooping is a full-body, high-intensity, low-impact workout - it challenges your brain's motor skills as well as your muscles. Hula hoop is a pleasant alternative to otherwise mundane cardio exercises. Head over to my fitness channel "LiftnHoop", and watch almost every imaginable exercise being amplified by the hula-hoop.

The first thing I have done is to realign my workout plan and routine since lack of access to gym and restricted mobility can be overwhelming. Structured bodyweight workouts, props workouts, music and hooping helps release a lot of stress and stay focussed. I use affirmations to keep myself channelised -- constantly communicating with near ones, reading up news of my interest and watching positive videos including those of workouts help keep anxiety at bay.

It's very important for every person who is into this situation now to be physically and mentally strong so I try to be active at least a few hours a day so that I can really be focused on my future goals. I try to motivate myself by utilizing this time to improve my skills and knowledge.

Keeping the team members and clients safe and engaged, has been crucial. And using various VC-based presentations and motivational talk sessions have come in very handy. There are corporate wellness players like CULT FIT, GALF who have MyGALF Wellness App, which employees can use for tracking and counting steps anywhere and get rewarded. Employees are able to watch curated holistic wellness curated content on their Apps.