Strange days… As we still don’t really know how things are going to unfold with the whole Coronavirus situation, there’s a few things we know for sure and that we need to focus on more than ever: We have to practice physical distancing, we have to stay at home and above all, we have to remind ourselves to stay POSITIVE AND PROACTIVE at all times.
Text and illustrations by Philippe Lajeunesse
Being stuck inside your house for an extended period of time might have some psychological consequences in the long run if you don’t take care of yourself properly, especially with the insecure atmosphere we’re living in right now. Confinement, fear, stress, feeling powerless and also a lot of loneliness… All things your immune system will react negatively to. The mental and physical burden can easily become hard to carry if you don’t have a solid plan to keep your brain and body busy during the quarantine.
Brace yourselves, we did our research and found activities you’ll be able to do at home that will enhance your physical and mental abilities so you come out of the crisis stronger, ready to grab life by the balls!
We’re going to talk about skateboarding and snowboarding a bit here because that’s what we do, but these activities are good for everybody and will definitely make things 100% better for whoever does them during the next few weeks. Turn off your phone and TV and start now, TUNNEL VISION ACTIVATED!
Learn how to do Yoga
People who practice Yoga say it's the fountain of youth and there’s a reason for that. It's the greatest activity for body and mind strenght. It can definitely be hard at first, but once you get a few poses unlocked, you’ll want to do it every day. Plus, yoga isn’t only good for your body’s capacities, it’s also very relaxing.
In the days that will follow, we will need to relax a lot, but we will also need to stay in good shape and focus on staying healthy. Yoga will do all that, and more. Forget about the death toll and the collapsing economy and get in the yoga zone. You’ll see how beneficial this could be for your future skate sessions AND for your own peace of mind.
There’s plenty of websites offering free yoga lessons and techniques. Below is a link for a sick Jenkem Mag article demonstrating a beginner yoga routine everybody can learn. Don't worry, you won't need special material other than a pillow and a timer. Check these out and get to it! One way or another, yoga cannot be bad and If you’ve been thinking about starting, now is the perfect time!
Check out Jenkem Mag's introduction to yoga →
Make a trick list and visualize
Visualization is key for snowboarding and skateboarding, but also for pretty much every goal you set for yourself. It allows you to land your tricks in your head and helps a lot when it comes to staying focused on the positive. Don’t think about the news, don’t think about what’s gonna happen… We have no control over that. Instead, think about stuff you can control, like the kickflip crooked grind you’ve been trying all Summer last year.
Picture the trick in your head from start to finish. The roll up, the pop, the flip, the grind, the pop out and the roll away. Imagine the trick in your head in slow motion over and over. If you want, you can even write your own trick list for this Summer, to make sure you don’t end up forgetting the tricks you want to spend time visualizing during the quarantine.
Trust us, this simple process won’t just unlock new skate or snowboarding tricks, it will also take your brain elsewhere for the time being. All we hear on TV and all we read in the newspapers can easily take you into panic mode, but when you feel that anxiety is getting to you, take out your list and VISUALIZE YOURSELF SUCCEEDING.
Start to work out
Obviously, working out is one of the best things to do during the quarantine. Whether you just want to get jacked and turn into a muscle man, concentrate on your cardio or or just lose weight in order to pop higher, a good workout will definitely do the trick. Make it an everyday thing and add it to your new “stay at home” routine.
There’s plenty of work out programs you can follow online that don’t need accessories or machines in order to be done. There’s also an Instagram account we really like that could help you find the exercises you need to do in order to improve your physical abilities for skating, snowboarding and pretty much whatever sport you like to do.
Check out Dr. Kyle Brown's exercises for the quarantine. →
Improve your diet
Been thinking about starting to eat healthier? Now is the right time to take matter into your own hands! I’ve personally been telling myself that I need to start to put more efforts into what I eat, but with work, family, friends and everything that normal everyday life includes, it’s hard for a lot of people to keep their engagements regarding their diets. At least it was hard for me. Now that we got plenty of time though, we have no reason to not go for it.
Restart your eating habits at zero and setup a food program that’s good for you and that will help your mind and body to stay in mint conditions. In the long run, a balanced diet can change a lot in your life. All for the better. Take advantage of the time you have at home to start eating good and you’ll see a HUGE difference when you hop on your board next Summer.
We’re lucky to live in an era where information is easily available online, so even if you need to stay at home, Internet can provide everything you need to know to start your new diet. What diet is good for you? What is your goal? What ingredients will make the difference in the long run? What should you cancel from your actual diet? Google should be able to give you the info you need. If you don’t know where to start, click on the link below for healthy recipes that were thought out especially for athletes who want to improve their skills by eating better.
Learn a new skill
If the crisis lasts longer than expected, DO NOT LET YOURSELF SINK INTO DEPRESSION BECAUSE YOU CAN’T SKATE! Instead, find a new hobby, something you’ll be able to get better at and that will provide the same feeling of fulfillment you get when you land a new trick.
Again, there’s so much stuff you can learn at home with Internet these days. Learn how to cook gastronomic meals, pick up a music instrument and check Youtube tutorials, get your hands on some paint and brushes and start painting or simply learn how to speak a new language with apps like DuoLingo! The options are infinite and will do a lot for you in this weird period of time.
First of all, your new hobby will be something positive to focus on daily. Your new skill will also help keeping your brain stimulated like it used to be when our days were normal. As weird as it sounds, learning something new can even help you get better at your main passion without even doing it!
Sometimes, too much skating or skate oriented thinking can get you a bit burned out and unmotivated after a while. For a lot of people and for me too, learning how to get better at something new keeps other things you are used to way more interesting.
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