While you were stuck inside your home quarantining for COVID-19, your bodies started to crave movement. Depending on the severity of your city’s quarantine orders, you may have hardly left your house during that time.
So, you turned to the internet. You followed workout videos and ordered stationary bikes and free weights to keep yourself strong.
In fact, the sporting goods industry saw a 170% rise in fitness equipment sales in the initial months of the pandemic. Sports gear of all kinds became a hot commodity for staying healthy, and staying sane, during the first Coronavirus quarantine.
Now is not the time to give up on your fitness goals. It’s time to up the ante so you can continue getting stronger and more adventurous.
You can now go outside for more socially distanced outdoor activity. So, it’s time to build up all of your sports gear collections to keep you moving through the new year.
Exercise During the Pandemic
Whether you’ve always been an avid fitness enthusiast, or you just started exercising because you were stuck in your house with nothing better to do, there are lots of ways to keep the momentum going. With all the different types of exercise and sports out there, there’s always a way to mix up your routine and try something new.
While some sports do require certain equipment, there are usually used and affordable options to try before becoming truly invested.
Exercising Inside
Many cities have released their initial quarantine orders and allowed people to venture back into parks and onto trails. Still, you may prefer to keep exercising from the comfort of your home.
If you’re a minimal-equipment kind of person, bodyweight workouts and dance workouts are your best friends. Any kind of movement that gets your heartbeat up counts towards your daily movement, so follow what feels good.
Yoga and stretching are also great at-home options for getting movement in without straining your body too much. A yoga mat is a great beginner item for new athletes or those just getting back into the game.
Exercising Outside
If you prefer to get your exercise in the great outdoors, you might need some equipment, but the options are virtually endless.
Hiking, biking, swimming, camping, baseball, soccer, scuba diving, and base jumping are all options. Well, maybe not that last one, unless you’re a true daredevil type.
You don’t need to have lots of gear to enjoy most of these activities. There is typically a base-level of preparedness if you are planning a wilderness excursion. Or if you plan to dive deep into the ocean to check out some sea turtles.
The outdoors is a great place to make discoveries, experience the wonders around you, and get some much-needed exercise.
Buying Sports Gear Online
When you decide to invest in gear for sports or other activities, it’s important to consider the quality and longevity of the products you’re buying.
While budget is obviously a factor to keep in mind, if you have to spend the same cheap price on a pair of sneakers 3 or 4 times, it might be best to invest a little more to get a pair that will hold up on the trail for a few years rather than a few months.
The key phrase is quality over quantity for gear that can keep you moving no matter if you’re in the wilderness or hitting the streets. This is obviously more difficult when you can’t go into stores to touch and try things on, so online reviews are a great place to start to find the best items.
Indoor Sports Gear
There is some standard sports gear you’ll want to consider packing to elevate all your workouts. Regardless of if you prefer to workout at home or decide to hit the gym, these are items to keep on hand.
Make sure you have a workout bag ready to go whenever you are.
Even if your gym is your kitchen or living room, it’s way more convenient to have your water and workout clothes packed so you can’t procrastinate your workout by laying on your bed deciding what to wear.
You’ll want some standard hygiene items in your pack. Especially if you’re prone to excessive sweating, or you have a Zoom meeting right after your workout.
Body wipes, dry shampoo, and deodorant are quick and easy to have on hand. A microfiber towel can also help you dry off during and after your workout.
Outdoor Sports Gear
Depending on the kind of exercise you prefer, you may head to the trails for hiking and camping, or you may hit the tennis courts or baseball fields for some much-needed competitive sporting.
For more organized outdoor sports, you’ll need to buy, rent, or borrow gear like tennis rackets, baseball bats, basketballs, or frisbees.
For exercising in the wilderness, especially if you’re a beginner backpacker, you’ll want the right size backpack, shoes, and camping gear. While the prestige of many of these items is not all that important, quality gear will make your trip much more pleasurable.
If you don’t have to worry about your workout gear falling apart, you can focus on working your mind and your muscles and getting stronger every day you hit the trail.
Best Sports Gear for You
It may take some trial and error to find the best sports or activities for you, but your body will always feel better after getting some quality exercise.
No matter what sports gear you have on hand, or how much you decide to invest in new gear, your mindset is what matters most. Making the choice to get moving is the hardest part, the gear is just there to support you along your fitness journey.
Find the right indoor and outdoor sporting goods for your workout lifestyle by getting advice from experts and novices alike on our outdoor journal.
