Getting the Most Out of Your At-Home Workout and Bootcamp Exercises (Ann Arbor)

We’ve seen some big changes at JMAC recently. In response to the emergency shutdown, and out of concern for the wellbeing of our students, JMAC has moved most of its classes online, both martial arts lessons and what we think is the best bootcamp exercise in Ann Arbor—the JMAC 18—now available at home!

Not everyone is used to virtual workouts. Sometimes it’s harder to get motivated in the comfort of your home, or you’re tempted to skip it because you don’t have to show up in person.

We’ve been learning a lot about ourselves and our students during this time, and we’ve compiled a list of tips to get the most out of your at-home practice.

  • Dress for success! Put on your martial arts uniform before you practice. If you’re doing our at-home bootcamp exercise, put on whatever athletic wear you’d normally wear to the gym. It might seem silly if you’re not at the dojo, but by putting on the uniform, you’re telling yourself that this time you’re setting aside is special. If you’ve just been sitting around in your sweats all day, it makes a big difference to change into your uniform!
  • Develop rituals! Just like in the dojo, we go through certain motions before we begin and end. At home, this could be simple stretches or breathing exercises. Having rituals is important, not least because they’re a traditional and inseparable part of martial arts. Rituals act like a uniform—they tell you that this time you’re setting aside is special. Find what works for you!
  • Eliminate distractions! When we have online lessons, it can be funny if someone’s cat walks across their screen. We all love pets—but kitty can probably wait until you’re done practicing! Go somewhere without your pets, put away your phone, and let your family or roommates know that for the next 30 minutes, you’re practicing martial arts! After all, mom isn’t interrupting you every 5 minutes at the dojo!
  • Set goals! Don’t just tell yourself that you’d like to keep practicing martial arts. Find a weakness that you’d like to improve or set some other goal. Practicing alone represents an opportunity to really slow things down. Especially if you’re a beginner or intermediate student, we recommend taking your time with your motions, bending your knees more, and focusing on breathing.

Sometimes it can hard to motivate yourself. If you don’t have somewhere to be, it’s all too easy to sit around all day!

Quarantine has been a trying time for many of us, but for those of us lucky enough to be healthy, we should use this time we’re given for self-improvement!

Whether it’s practicing martial arts at home, or our virtual bootcamp exercises, JMAC has the resources to leave quarantine stronger than ever!

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