Features December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Quarantine
stay fit, stay sane, stay healthy
T
wo to three weeks of hotel quarantine is now expected by most international arrivals in Hong Kong. How do they cope with being cooped up for so long?
Equipment and routines
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Sam It’s a challenge. I took a separate room from my partner to maintain harmony. Variety was my other answer to staying sane. Music, aerobics, stretching, strength training, work, calisthenics, movies and reading: they all helped. Improvisation is another key. I had no equipment but I did 10,000 steps a day by moving furniture out of the way to maximize floor space and just striding around.
Michael I was quite lucky in that I had a Concept 2 bike and some weights delivered from home to my hotel room. I do a lot of weightlifting normally so I could maintain about 90% of my pre-quarantine strength. I gave myself kilometre and kilogram targets to hit, which I did. The bike was good as it tired me out so I could sleep easily. Sleeping can be problem for some people if they are not tired enough.
Yasmin Preparing for 21 days confined in a hotel meant making sure I was active both physically and mentally. A schedule was important to compartmentalize my routine. I had a yoga mat and blocks and I hired a walking pad. I combined these with watching educational videos and listening to podcasts and I joined a Zoom yoga group. I did about 10,000 steps a day. More than usual because I had more time and my exercise routines complemented one another, one for cardio fitness and the other for overall body and mind relaxation and stretching.
Joanne I was in quarantine with my partner and every
morning began with exercise. We rented an exercise bike and a yoga mat from our hotel and did online exercise classes. Our main goal was to keep physically and mentally active and we had lots of time to dedicate to this goal. The bike was a godsend, providing routine plus the challenge to ride further and at a harder level each day. We would definitely rent one again. Good music was also essential.
