Gym coaches have noticed that many people exercised less during this period, leading to a general increase in body fat among clients. Exercising at home is simply not the same, because the necessary equipment is often missing for a proper workout.
Athenais, who was ecstatic to return to fitness, was of the same opinion. She says she got weaker during lockdown and put on one or two kilos due to the pace being different during confinement. Waking up was different, there was less stress, all that would have contributed.
It’s not just the weight that has gone up, but general health has suffered, particularly among the elderly.
Jos Horsmans of CK Fitness says that people’s abilities have suffered in particular. Because clients’ lean mass has decreased with fat levels rising, they have become less flexible. “We had to adapt the clients’ programme, get them back to the level they were at before”, says Horsmans.
During lockdown, people often continued to walk or cycle, which is great for stamina, but doesn’t necessarily help strengthen muscles.
Ben Moes, a physiotherapist, has been seeing a lot of footballers with muscle injuries or knee problems as of late. This is mainly due to the fact that players in the lower divisions were not allowed to play and only went running instead. But the load is higher in the games and as the body is a bit weaker than before the lockdown, it often leads to serious injuries.
Because of the restrictions, some people no longer dared to go to the fitness centres, which lost many customers. This confidence must now be rebuilt in this sector.
