Wigan Warriors' Willie Isa becomes NHS volunteer

The Warriors players are on lockdown because of the government's measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

And Isa is one of the 750,000 people to have signed up for the scheme to support the NHS by volunteering.

"We have to help each other, our neighbours and the community the best we can do in these difficult times," said the forward.

"I’m doing the best I can to live my life every day and help those people who are not doing so well.

“I’m doing the best I can to stay fit. It is hard but there is a bigger issue than rugby league at the minute."

Isa is treating the break as a chance to enhance his fitness, even adapting items around his home to create a makeshift gym.

“I’ve got some ‘jail’ weights and I also use my two bins to do some dips on them. I put the bar on top of the bins and start squatting," said the 31-year-old.

“I’m in contact with our coaching staff in terms of the schedule they want us to do each day. As no one knows when we will return to normal training, everyone is trying to keep fit at the minute. I also use the one ‘exercise a day’ wisely and go for a good, decent run.

“I’ve turned my schedule into a mini pre-season. It’s about doing the long runs, long repetitions on the weights and doing the best you can.

“I thought I was slowly getting into the game fitness, but you can’t replicate that when there’s no games. That’s the hardest thing for players – trying to replicate that game fitness and at the minute, the only way to keep that up is going back to that pre-season mindset – trying to keep yourself as fit as possible in the legs with what you’ve got at your disposal.

“It’s about stripping back to the basics and remember to what I was doing when I was a kid and what my dad taught me. It’s about the pure old school running and push ups. I’m lucky that I’ve got a bar here and a few weights too.

“It tests you as an athlete – it’s not about what you’ve got, it’s also about the mindset you’ve got. I take my 31-year-old self to that 12-year-old Willie Isa where I was determined to do whatever I could to get myself fit.”

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