All professional sports have been impacted by the closure of training centers, and the UFC is no exception. It's still very important to stay in fight shape without access to training facilities, so how are UFC fighters continuing to train during quarantine?

 Cardio is one aspect of training that can be done without a gym. Many jurisdictions still allow running, jogging and other outdoor activities. Many UFC fighters are incorporating sprints and running in an effort to keep their stamina at high levels.

To improve their aerobic conditioning, most UFC athletes are also focusing on high-intensity interval training or HIIT.

HIIT has already been a staple of UFC fighters' routines, even before COVID-19 changed how athletes trained. HIIT raises the heart rate quickly and can simulate the physical activity a competitor goes through when they step into the ring or octagon.

Most HIIT sessions involve a quick warmup followed by periods of intense activity followed by lower activity levels. This cycle is repeated and can involve many different forms of exercise that may require limited equipment or none at all. Some HIIT routines UFC competitors utilize include:

• Shadowboxing
• Rope skipping
• Ladder runs
• Sprints followed by pushups

HIIT can go a long way to keeping fighters in aerobic shape once the time comes to get back in the ring.

While they may not have access to the gym, UFC fighters still must keep their strength at high levels to stay in fighting shape. Some UFC competitors do have access to some equipment at home or have acquired weights, kettle-balls, medicine balls or other easily portable strength training equipment during the quarantine.

UFC trainers and fighters without gym equipment have gotten creative by replacing weights with pets, family members, household items and championship belts. These can effectively replace dumbbells and other weighted equipment as long as we remember to keep our form proper and the safety of our loved ones in mind.

We're even seeing UFC members share their strength training workouts that don't involve any equipment. Some great strength workouts that we're seeing that don't require a trip to the gym include:

• Pushups
• Squats
• Planks
• Burpees
• Mountain Climbers

There is a large volume of potential no-equipment strength training routines, and chances are your favorite UFC performer has shared theirs on their social media accounts.

 While working on conditioning and strength is important during quarantine, it often neglects training for conditions in the ring. There are a few ways some UFC athletes are addressing this lapse in their training while the gym is closed.

When you're training by yourself, there's no real way to spar with a fellow fighter or trainer. UFC athletes have taken to a modified version of shadow boxing that merges their style with high-intensity interval training. We've seen the video of UFC fighters running through their sequences of punches, kicks and other moves that can be performed without an apparatus. They feel that it's vitally important to retain that muscle memory and work through sequences that are likely to happen during a competition, even if they don't have a trainer or sparring partner.

While some fighters have a heavy bag at home to increase resistance when running through simulated fighting sequences, some are performing them in front of a mirror or videotaping these routines so they can watch at a later time to evaluate their form and make sure they are ready for resumed competition.

 UFC fighters are also preparing mentally to reduce the stress of being locked away during the quarantine.

Yoga is a great way to help relieve anxiousness as well as stretch your body to retain flexibility, and UFC fighters are starting to rely on yoga more and more to relieve the stress of training at home.

Some competitors are also using meditation and visualization techniques to keep their mind ready for their next fight. Some believe this mental preparation will help them focus on their at-home workouts rather than toning it down until they can get to the gym.

Rather than training on their own during quarantine, a handful of UFC fighters and trainers have moved in with each other in order to train together during the quarantine. Having a training partner or two can be a great motivator and produce better training results.

Sometimes it hard to push through a tough workout when training on your own, and by moving in with other UFC competitors, fighters are gaining a support system. Having a friend or trainer push and encourage you during hard sessions pushes fighters to give 100-percent effort during the quarantine.

Living with other fighters also gives UFC competitors the advantage of being able to have real sparring sessions. Shadowboxing and fight simulation can only take a fighter so far when it comes to preparing for the activities of competition, and having a teammate to spar with can give UFC fighters and edge.

These are just a few ways that UFC contenders are keeping fit under quarantine and hopefully will see a return to action in the near future.

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