Exercising and keeping active in COVID-19
By Tegan Hailey
Exercising and staying active has never been more important until now! For many of us our regular forms of exercise and staying active have either been completely or to some extent impacted by COVID-19!
We are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, with the possibility of COVID-19 restrictions easing soon! And as we begin to move forward, it is a great time to reflect on what type of activity is missing or needs improvement in our day to day activities. So ask yourself ...
How were you staying active before?
How or what have you needed to adapt at home?
What type of activity is currently missing to continue to stay fit?
Whilst everyone has been talking about what you CAN’T do during COVID-19, we thought it would be great to talk about what you CAN do to stay active!
Whether you have been going for a daily walk, run or cycle, been involved in an online home yoga/pilates or fitness circuit or have recreated a sport such as hockey in your backyard! COVID-19 has shown us that there are many different ways to stay active, without expensive equipment and even from home!
Aerobic Exercise (also known as cardio):
Is a great way to stay fit and can be the easiest way to incorporate and maintain physical activity during this time. Some great examples of aerobic exercise include …
Walking
Running
Bike riding
Dancing
Skipping (jump rope)
Active video games
Minimum 30 minutes a day is a great way to get out of the house for some fresh air and to stretch your legs!
2. Strength and Flexibility:
As many of us have had a decrease or cessation of the various forms of exercise we use throughout our day, there is no surprise that we would also be losing the strength we have built and maintained with these activities. It is still important that we focus on maintaining strength and flexibility throughout our week. Whether that be by …
Workout online: Amongst the endless amounts of free exercise videos available on YouTube, various qualified fitness instructors have taken their classes online. From strength workouts to yoga,Pilates, and high intensity interval training (HIIT) etc.
Going freestyle: Build your own workout, if you don’t have access to weights, use household items like filled water bottles and cans or jars of food, do some star jumps, planks, sit ups, push ups, or burpees. Anything to get your heart rate up a little.
Recreate a sport in your backyard or lounge room (be aware of breakable items!).
Tennis: Get 2 dining chairs apart with a sheet over it to recreate a net
Sports such as Soccer, hockey, netball etc: use tinned food or small objects to create obstacles to perform various drills around
Good old fashioned backyard cricket
Can you play squash/ or hit a ball against a brick wall?
Kick to kick.
FINALLY DO NOT FORGET - Sedentary Lifestyle!
It is extremely easy at the moment to fall into a sedentary pattern! It is extremely important that Australia’s Physical Activity Guidelines still apply even in social isolation. Whether you are still working/studying at the office or at home, it is important to monitor your screen time and period of time spent sitting. Remember to break it up and incorporate the above 2 points into your day to day activities.
If you would like advice or alternative ways to stay active during these times, please feel free to consult with your osteopath! We also love to hear about the new and interesting ways people have come up with to stay active. Don’t forget to encourage your loved ones, who you’re no doubt spending a lot of time with right now, to move their bodies too!