Help to get you running on empty

HAS your motivation to exercise taken a hit during Victoria’s fifth lockdown?

You’re not alone, according to local personal trainer Peter King.

Mr King started Run About Bendigo in May last year, after the state’s first lockdown.

“I have been a trainer for another company for three, four years before that, I went out on my own in May, just after the first lockdown and got a good following of quite a few people and just built on from that,” he said.

“I do group training and that sort of stuff as well; my passion is training people to run and I’ve just got on from that.”

With a client base of about 40 people, Mr King runs different sessions including a boot camp style workout, interval training and a long-distance weekend run.

But when Victoria entered lockdown restrictions for a fifth time two weeks ago, Mr King noticed a drop off in his clients’ eagerness to participate.

“Each lockdown I feel is chipping away more at people each one,” he said. “Even now I’m getting people messaging me saying I was lacking the motivation but I’m getting into it and I’m starting to feel better just from the little bit.”

While Mr King is still able to train one person at a time, he said he posts workouts and challenges to a private Facebook group to encourage people to work out on their own, or with a friend.

“It does take off with someone who will post their workout and that’ll cause a snowball effect of motivation, they see such and such do it, so they think we’ll do it too,” he said.

Mr King encourages everyone to brave the cold winter air and make the most of exercising in lockdown.

“If you can exercise through the lockdown, you’re going to feel much better coming out the other side,” he said.

“The running causes the endorphin release, and it gives them a sense of achievement. They’ve got their exercise, they’ve got out of the house, they’ve got what little sunshine there is at the moment but it’s massive for their mental health and I can just see it.”

“I’ve made so many friends through the running community in Bendigo so it’s great that way too.”