Luggage Workout During Coronavirus
DISCLAIMER: Please do not consider this article’s advice as any sort of definitive guide to any points coronavirus related! Make sure to follow all health and safety protocols, regulations, and restrictions as prescribed by the CDC as well as your state and local authorities. Make sure to check such resources daily for updates!
Luggage What?
Let’s face facts: you’re probably not traveling anywhere anytime soon. Nor should you. So you might as well pack away that luggage for the foreseeable future, right?
Maybe. Though maybe there’s another use for your cases that you haven’t considered? Maybe, with all non-essential businesses closing — including gyms — there’s some re-purposing to help you make the most of our strange situation?
I’m talking, of course, about the “luggage workout”.
It’s entirely possible that I’m already “cracking” under the recent “shelter in place” order mandated to help curb the coronavirus curve. This admission is far from a criticism of such policies — in fact, they are indeed vital and should be followed by everyone as instructed by government authorities.
But these changes can be still difficult to navigate. As a relative “exercise nut”, I usually visit my local gym about 3 or 4 days a week in addition to other outdoors cardio. That routine won’t return for quite some time. So in the meantime, what can one do?
Realistically, I’d first recommend trying some more “holistic” and or “expert” workouts. There’s a ton of qualified instructors online, via YouTube for example, that will teach you some fantastic basic workouts, and in some ways “safer” exercises like yoga. I pretty much recommend these types of resources for everyone to at least check out.
But if you’re a bit more of an “adventurous” exerciser like me, and use to a bit more weight-based activity in addition to cardio, a luggage workout can be a surprisingly useful addendum in lieu of an actual weight set (which, of course, is a much more reasonable course of action).
With these disclaimers identified, let’s get into the “art” of a luggage workout:
How to “Build” Your Luggage Set
The first step for a luggage workout is to gather your supplies, which actually, is relatively simple. Most people probably already have such items on hand, though there are many potential alternatives that could be used in place of my prime choices.
1. Gather the right books. Ever wondered when in the heck you were going to get around to actually reading War and Peace? Well, maybe there’s a better use for such tomes that we both know you’re unlikely to ever actually crack into. I recommend bigger books as they’ll cause less jostling.
2. Insert your books. Remember that you can (and should) adjust the weight by workout type. When in doubt USE LESS WEIGHT. The last thing you want to do is hurt yourself by putting in more than you can handle. Always better to do more repetitions of less weight.
3. Secure your books. This is actually perhaps the MOST important step. Shifting books can damage both your luggage and yourself. If they sway to one side during a workout, you risk the whole thing slipping and causing injury. As such, using lightweight “filler” like some clothes or a robe to fill in any empty gaps can ensure that your weights remain secured and balanced throughout your exercise.
4. Secure your bag. There’s also always the risk of luggage tearing or breaking. Make sure that all zippers are securely pulled all the way shut and that they also ARE NOT “stressed”. IF you put too many books in so that the zippers are pulling apart, you risk them coming loose, and then books toppling on your stupid head in mid-workout. If you feel like you need more weight, don’t over-stuff your luggage. Try using a bigger on instead!
5. Make sure handles are secured. Again, older luggage risks coming apart at the literal seams, so take time to confirm that all handles etc. are strong and firm. Not a bad idea to reinforce such elements with duct tape — or, again, just buy an actual weight set like normal people.
6. Follow other fitness and training practices/experts. As you can see here, I do indeed look objectively insane. As such, you’ll want to still follow all advice and forms for workout practices as recommended by actual fitness experts.
Final Thoughts
Again, a luggage workout isn’t for everyone. Heck, it might not even be a good idea for anyone. I’ve only figured this “method” (geez, if we can even really call it that) over the years while away on long trips either on the road or while staying with friends — sometimes for weeks at a time when gym visits weren’t an option. There’s no look like the one you get after asking a good friend if they have a bunch of big books, only to clarify that you have no intention of reading any of them.
But these are indeed strange times, and as such, I hope you’re at least entertained by my one strange solution to adapting to our bizarre situation.
Seems slightly less crazy of an idea today than it did just a couple of weeks ago at least. Then again, you are the one reading advice about luggage workouts online.
Lift well B)