With the majority of us spending more time at home, less time out exercising and absolutely no time at the gym, we have all been trying our best to adapt to lockdown restrictions (some with more success than others).
We have picked our five favourite health and fitness tips to help you stay healthy, keep exercising and maintain a positive outlook during this tough and stressful period.
1. Get up earlier – We are not saying you need to set your alarm for 5 o’clock every morning, but getting up earlier allows you to prepare for the day ahead without feeling rushed. You can better schedule in work and exercise, and maintaining a routine will keep you motivated.
2. Instil new habits – Whether it is practicing yoga each morning, reading for 30 minutes every day, or learning to cook healthy evening meals from scratch, now is the perfect time to introduce these new habits and prepare for life after lockdown. Once the restrictions are lifted and life starts getting back to normal, it will be much harder to find the time to learn these new skills.
3. Count your steps – Giving yourself a realistic, achievable target each day is a great way to get moving and get back in the routine of daily exercise. There are numerous wearable trackers available or you can even keep track with your mobile phone. When gyms re-open or you go back to playing your favourite sport, you will be grateful for all those extra steps that kept your fitness ticking over.
4. Take a daily vitamin D supplement – Health experts recommend a daily supplement containing 25mcg (1,000 IU) of vitamin D throughout the year for all adults, but this is particularly important during the winter months, for those who do not spend much time outdoors, and for those with darker skin types. Make sure you invest in a product containing vitamin D3, as this is the same form of vitamin D that our bodies produce naturally from sunlight.
5. Create your own virtual workout – In addition to exercise, it is important to keep in touch with friends and check in with others who may be lonely. A great way of combining the two is by setting up group video calls so that you and your friends can ‘meet up’ to hit the treadmill, spin bike or elliptical. Schedule the meetings for 30-45 minutes, and you will be amazed at how much quicker the time goes!
