New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty made a key offseason purchase which is paying dividends during social distancing: a Peloton bike.
It could be a struggle for professional athletes to maintain their weight, strength, endurance or all of the above during the coronavirus outbreak with social distancing in place. NFL players might look significantly different by the time next season begins if they haven’t been able to get back into an actual gym.
McCourty, who signed a two-year contract with the Patriots before hitting free agency this offseason, is getting by using creative means.
“It’s been something that’s been a work in progress,” McCourty said Wednesday during a conference call. “Fortunately, I ordered a Peloton in the beginning of February. I had thought about it for a while, and I ordered it, and that’s been key for me just to be able to — no matter the weather — jump on that.
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“Other than that, it’s been FaceTiming my trainer and try to do workouts that way and letting me know some things I can get in the house and figuring it out. I think the good thing is everyone has that same mentality, players trying to figure out how they can get workouts in and trainers walking around their house and figuring out things that guys can do and passing it along. Everyone’s kind of going through the same thing and trying to figure that out. It’s definitely challenging.”
NFL players typically work with a trainer in a private gym or continue to use the team’s facility during the offseason. Both of those methods are off the table in Massachusetts during the COVID-19 crisis. NFL facilities across the league have been closed off to coaches and any player who was not previously receiving treatment from team trainers.
