Stuck inside during the nationwide lockdown can be extremely disconcerting, to say the least. Reports doing the rounds in recent tabloids have confirmed that footballers are struggling with anxiety and depression after being forced out of the action. To compound matters, keeping up with their necessary fitness regimes has been quite tricky.
SportsAdda, for that matter, had an interesting chat with Bengaluru FC’s Kean Lewis, where the winger, who had a trial with Leicester City’s academy early in his career, opened up about the challenges.
“Being confined within the house has been quite challenging,” explained Lewis.
“Given that we here in Mumbai are in a red zone, we aren’t even allowed to go outdoors unless it’s for essentials. As a result of not having much to do, I wake up relatively late, by around eight and go about with my morning rituals of stretching and eating.
“Then I sit for what I call brain workouts. I am taking online courses and certifications in fields that interest me and what will come in handy in the future."
“I also work on small online gigs from my laptop that require content writing, blogging, and counselling. Evenings are when the athletic training starts. Post that, I help around with some housework and watch some documentary or movie.”
Read | Kean Lewis: A journeyman finding solidity with Bengaluru FC
Access to limited gym equipment means Lewis has to make do with whatever is available at his disposal.
“I try and use whatever equipment I have at home to keep me fit. I have dumbbells, cones, ankle weights, resistance bands, a balance board, and footballs, so I work with doing something with them each day for about a couple of hours.
“Apart from that, I’ve been encouraging my family to workout with me, so we select some bodyweight workout videos from YouTube and get to doing those for a bit.”
The Indian Super League is in its off-season right now, and given that the players are no longer reporting for the first-team training, Lewis says that he misses being with his teammates.
“Given that it’s the offseason and there is no regular team training that I have to report to, there are three things that I miss the most: playing daily with my friends in the mornings, going for swims in the evening, and travelling.
“I regularly go for a swim in the offseason, and it’s been a way I stay in shape during this time. I am an avid traveller and it is a huge thing that I miss. It’s something that I love doing - going to new cities, meeting new people, experimenting with local cuisine and culture."
“Every year, I try and make a trip of 15 days to a place I have not been to before. Unfortunately, this year, due to the lockdown, that hasn’t been possible. So, I’ve replaced travelling with a bit of cooking for now.”
