The Vietnamese government announced a nationwide relaxation on social distancing rules starting from 23th April. As such, many businesses will start to slowly resume activities.
Looking back on the past 3 weeks of April when most public venues in Vietnam were shut down, including gyms, local gym goers had to make significant workout changes.
Even though many were unable to hit the gym, Vietnamese people still managed to find funny alternatives to exercise and stay in shape while in quarantine.
Trying not to be sedentary while at home, Vietnamese came up with unique ways to exercise and keep their spirits up.
One man, for example, carried his wife on his shoulders to attempt lunges.
Image adapted from: Lâm Na Rin
As long as the ends justify the means, some didn’t mind using the most unexpected yet available resources they could possibly find, such as a gallon-sized water bottle – you know, those used for water dispensers – in place of a kettlebell while they did squats.
A man doing squats with a gallon-size water-filled water bottle
Image adapted from: ZzKhông-cam Xúc
One gym aficionado even used his double bed in place of advanced equipment like barbells to do some triceps training.
A man performing lying tricep extensions, using the bed frame as the barbell.
Image adapted from: trung duc
Not every gym-goer’s home was decked out with top-notch equipment. And while one could have purchased a basic set-up from suppliers online, these equipment can cost a bomb.
COVID-19 has cost millions of jobs worldwide, leaving many scrimping and saving as much as possible.
With this in mind, local gym aficionados went the extra mile to make their own equipment at home using the resources available to them, such as water bottles and metal poles.
Image credit: Trần Hoàng
Not only did this save money, it also boosted self-sufficiency.
Those who wanted to handle lighter weights could use other items instead of water bottles. A couple of short pipes and cylinder-shaped milk powder cans could work admirably as hand weights too.
Image credit: Trần Hoàng
Even the most basic household objects such as bricks, rice bags, and water bottles came in handy when putting together DIY equipment for exercising.
A DIY equipment set for triceps extension exercises: a pipe and rice bags filled with boxes are used as a barbell, a broken wood bench used as a workout bench
Image adapted from: Nguyễn Minh
Following a recent ease on social distancing measures, gym-goers will be able to go to the gym again if we continue to see improvements in the containment of the coronavirus outbreak.
Even though gyms and fitness centers are still out of reach for the moment due to an extended ban on large gatherings, we can still exercise while at home.
Apart from observing personal hygiene like washing your hands and wearing masks when going out, staying physically fit also boosts your body’s defense against infections.
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Cover image adapted from: Trần Hoàng
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