#zrhf 13

[zrtranscripts]

Home Front, Mission 13: Good Morning New Canton!

The Sky's the Limit!

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NADIA AL HANAKI: Good morning, New Canton. This is Nadia Al Hanaki, broadcasting from the comms room to all New Canton runners and anyone else who can hear me right now. I'll be blathering on for a while, so why don't you start doing a bit of warm-up while I talk? Jogging on the spot, shaking out your arms, anything to get the blood flowing.

Anyway, I'm here with your daily update on the massive zombie mob that's been all anyone can talk about for approximately the last hundred years. Short version, we’re still surrounded by zombies on all sides and your instructions are still to stay inside for your own safety and for the safety of others.

I know some of you will be thinking oh, I could just make a run for it. I bet I could get through that mob and safely home in no time. I'm looking at you, Runner Seventy-One. But literally the last thing any of us need right now is another zombie shambling round out there, or worse still, you getting bitten and bringing the infection home with you, so it's really important you stay put.

So now all that stuff's out the way, my job is to try and keep all you guys healthy and entertained while you wait. And I thought today I'll take you through a workout I learned when I just started working as an air traffic controller. I was working in this airport just outside Paisley, spending a lot of time behind a desk, you know, so these are all exercises you can do completely seated.

So first things first, you're going to need a nice sturdy chair you can sit upright in. Ideally with no armrest, but any port in a storm, right? Make sure you're on solid ground with a bit of space to stretch out in all directions and that the chair won't fall over if you shoogle it.

We'll start with some seated jumping jacks, which are just like the standing version except you keep your bum on the chair. Fling your arms and legs out into a star shape as far out as you can, then bring them back in again. We'll go for a minute, starting now.

Now don't go too wild on your first few. Make sure your chair is not going to topple over. That's it. Brilliant. That's 15 seconds. If it's feeling too tough, you can do arms only or legs only, or you can alternate. 30 seconds. Keep going, you can do it. If you want to build the intensity, tuck your knees right into your chest each time. That'll work your abs. Nearly there, just 15 seconds left.

And that's you, that's your minute done. Hopefully you're feeling nice and warm, so keep moving while I play some music. You can do another set of your jumping jacks, a chair dance, or whatever works for you. I'll be right back after this.

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NADIA AL HANAKI: Right then, runners. I hope you're feeling nice and warm, ready for your next exercise. This one's called 49s. It's one Lem taught me and it's really good for building your grip strength. What we're going to do is open both your hands really wide and then close them tightly into fists and that's one rep. Have you got that?

So you're going to repeat that movement seven times, then move your arms into a different position and do it again. Don't worry, I'll talk you through it start to finish. We'll do seven repeats in seven different positions until you've opened and closed your hands 49 times in total, and that's why the name, right?

So start with your arms straight out in front of you like Supergirl. Open your hands wide as you can, clench them into fists, and repeat. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. That's great. Now lift your arms above your head and hold them there, straight up to the sky. Open and close your hands again for seven more repeats. Six, five, four, three, two, one. Brilliant. Arms straight out to either side now, palms pointing down to the floor. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

That's three sets done. You should be starting to feel that in your forearms now. Okay, now keep your arms out to the sides, but bend your elbows to 90 degrees so your forearms are vertical, like you're a bodybuilder showing off your mighty biceps, yeah? Same again, hands open and closed. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. That's four sets done.

If you've got to stop, that's totally fine. Rest out for a sec and come back in when you can. It's a marathon, not a sprint. This next one's my favorite. Keep your elbows where they are and bring your hands in towards your chest like you're about to start doing a funky chicken dance. Don't actually do a funky chicken dance, by the way. And that applies especially to you, Sam Yao, if you're listening over there in Abel. And another set. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Five sets done.

I bet you're feeling the burn by now. Second to last one, put your arms straight out on either side again, this time palms facing up to the sky. And seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. And last one, arms dangling straight down to the floor, backs of your hands facing forward. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and that's you, that's your 49 done.

Do that every day and you'll get forearms like Lem’s. He had lovely arms, just like the rest of him. Yep, Lem was pretty special. Okay, shake your hands out a bit and get the muscles loosening up again. I'm gonna play you some music. You keep moving. Do another set of 49s if you're feeling hardcore, or more jumping jacks, or that funky chicken dance if you want, and I'll be right back after this song.

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NADIA AL HANAKI: We're going to do some torso twists now. It's a great exercise for your core. First things first, you're going to need a couple of weights. Some of you might have the luck to be holed up in an abandoned gym with a rack of dumbbells to choose from, but the rest of us will just have to make do with whatever is to hand.

You'll need something that's got a decent weight to it, something you can grip securely. A couple of tins should do it. Sticking each one into a bag with a decent handle works pretty well. It makes them much easier to hold onto and you can always add more tins to the bags if you want a heavier weight.

So just hold the tins or the weights in close to your chest, really close like they were the last tins of condensed milk in the world, okay? And bend forward from the hips, rotating your body so you're bringing your right shoulder towards your left hip, then sit back up and repeat the movement the other way, left shoulder to right hip. You can do it without the weights if you like. If you're doing that, just clasp your hands behind your head. The movement's the same, otherwise.

Okay, you got it? We're gonna do a one minute set, starting now. You should be feeling a lovely stretch down your side as you do this one. You can do it nice and slow and really enjoy the stretching, or go faster for a harder workout. That's lovely. That's 15 seconds, keep going. The further you hold your weights away from yourself, the harder a workout this will be. Keep that pace going. Fantastic.

Halfway. This is a great exercise to do in a chair because your hips are fixed in position, so all the twist comes from your waist. Try and keep your back straight. Don't let it curve forward. Brilliant. That's you three quarters of the way through now. Make the most of those last few reps. Take it all the way to the end. Push through. Three, two, one, and relax.

Put your weights down, if you're using them, and spend a few seconds stretching out those hard-working oblique muscles. Keep moving through this next song as much or as little as you like and I'll see you in a bit.

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NADIA AL HANAKI: [laughs] That song is a total classic. I always used to put it on at the end of my air traffic control shift to mark the end of another busy day. It always means hope to me. The end of a hard time is going to come, however long it takes.

Okay, okay, so on with the workout. You're gonna need your weights again. Remember the trick of putting tin cans into bags to create a weight? You could try that here. You don't want whatever it is flying off and smashing through a window or a fellow survivor. We're doing a minute of bicep curls.

So press your elbows tight into your sides with your hands down by your sides, palms facing forward, holding your weights. And all you're gonna do is bend your elbows to bring those weights up to our shoulders, then lower them back down again to your sides, simple as that.

And your minute starts now. Keep your movement nice and slow and controlled, particularly when you're straightening your arms. You don't want to jerk your elbows. Steady does it. That's nice. 15 seconds done. Imagine there's an invisible bar between your two weights. Keep your hands at the same height all the way through the movement. Keep going.

Brilliant, that's halfway. You're doing really well. If you're using tin cans in bags, be extra careful not to whack yourself in the knees. 45 seconds done. This exercise always makes me feel like a proper weightlifter. Turns out you don't need expensive gear or a fancy gym after all! Just a bit longer. And that's your minute, runners. You can put your weights down now. It's time for another song, and the usual rules apply. You can repeat your bicep curls, or keep moving any other way you like, or relax and recover before the next exercise. It's up to you.

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NADIA AL HANAKI: Okay runners, we're going to move on to some seated leg raises now, but if you don't have room for this one or you're not using your legs, you can swap out for one of the upper body exercises we've already done instead. Sit upright in your chair with your back nice and straight and your hands on the seat beside you. Plant your left foot on the floor and straighten your right leg out so it's sticking straight out in front of you with your hip flexed and your knee straight. Hold it there for a few seconds, then lower it back down. We'll do 30 seconds with your right leg, then swap and do 30 seconds with your left. Got it? Okay, let's go.

Lift that leg up straight, hold it, and back down again. Find a rhythm that works for you and if it hurts, then stop, yeah? Find your rhythm. Do what works for you. This is a great workout for your quads, those big muscles at the front of your thigh that you use for jumping and kicking. Not that I advise kicking any zombies, of course.

Time to swap legs, runners. If you need to hold on to the side of the chair, that's absolutely fine. Just try and keep your back straight and don't let yourself lean back. Nice. Good form. Keep that back nice and straight. Three quarters done now. Hopefully you're getting a nice stretch down your hamstrings as well. Home straight. Keep it going, keep it going, and that's your minute up. Nice going, guys.

I used to do this one a lot when I was on night shift and in the control tower, something to keep me going in the long gaps between planes. When I'd been there about a year, I got this new watch manager and he really hated me for some reason. He was always giving me grief. Maybe it was because he didn't like the way I was dressed. Who knows. Anyway, every time I did these leg lifts, I imagined I was giving him a solid boot up the backside. Not that you lovely runners would ever think things like that, would you?

He got his comeuppance though, in the end. There are these migratory Canada geese that used to nest right outside the perimeter fence and they got really territorial during breeding season. Turns out someone... forgot to warn him to keep out of their way. So one day, right, he came into the control tower looking like, well, like he'd just escaped from a massive mob of huge, furious geese.

Turns out he'd gotten too close to their nest, and they'd started flapping and honking and chasing him. And in the end, he'd had to throw his sandwiches so he could make a run for it! And no matter how much bother he gave me after that, I could always think of him fleeing for his life, pursued by geese. Good times. I'm going to play you a song now. You can keep going with your leg lifts or another exercise or just use the time to recover, and I'll be back soon.

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NADIA AL HANAKI: Okay runners, it's time to get those weights again for another set of bicep curls. Dry your hands off, make sure you've got a really good grip on your tins or bags. Get your elbows in close to your sides, arms straight down with your palms pointing forward, and let's go. Remember, keep lifting at the same time, pretending you've got that invisible barbell. Keep them level. Up and down. Don't push yourself too hard. This is such a good exercise for building arm strength. You never know what you're going to need to lift in future.

That's halfway, runners. Nice going. If it's feeling too tough, you can put the weights down and close your hands into fists instead. Keep it going. Keep moving. 15 seconds left. Keep going, last few reps. Nearly there. And relax. You can put your weights down now. Well done.

It's funny, all this talking about my time as an ATC, it's got me thinking about planes, how they were another one of those things we just took for granted. I mean, there was always a plane up there with one of those vapor trails behind it. Like... like the sky was one big blue wall that a kid had been scribbling on with chalk.

When I was little, I used to think about all the people on board, wondering where they were going, who was setting off on an adventure, who was coming home to their families. I mean, they were terrible for the environment, so it was always going to have to change, but it was so quick the way it all went from a sky full of planes to just nothing at all.

I know the Ministry have still got one, that wee Lockheed McDonnell 312, but it's just one plane. It's not the same, is it? Sometimes I look up at the sky and I expect to see a 737 up there, taking people off on their holidays. One day, I know we'll have that again, heading off to a strange place just for fun. In the meantime, you listen to this song and do some more bicep curls or something different if you fancy, and I'll be back in a bit.

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NADIA AL HANAKI: Nice work, runners. That's your workout done for the day. I hope you're getting a warm glow from all those endorphins, you've certainly earned them. Take a few minutes to stretch and cool down and hopefully that'll give you a bit of help to get through the day. This isn't going to be forever, even though it feels like it right now.

If you've got a window where you are, look outside, look up. Even when the ground's covered in zombies, there's still a sky up there. There's still trees and clouds and birds.

Speaking of birds, I met this guy a couple of months ago who'd come down from a settlement at Linwood just by the airport where I used to work. He said they send runners in on a fuel run now and again and if you go at the wrong time of year, the main hazard is apparently a big gaggle of territorial Canada geese mugging you for your sandwiches. It's nice to know that some things never really change.

The world is still out there, runners, and when it's safe, we'll get you back out in it. Until then, you lot all stay safe in there, all right? And I'll speak to you soon.

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