How to stay healthy during lockdown

This post was written during the pandemic and contains information specific to it.

Lockdown is a completely new situation that’s never happened before, so this post will discuss some easy ways to stay healthy during this time.

Workout from home:

For lots of people the idea of “working out” can be very daunting as they don’t know how, or feel like it could be embarrassing. In fact research has found that 73% of people fail to stick to exercise goals and 67% of gym members never go. Motivation is the biggest barrier to fitness. With the new lockdown rules in place there is no need to worry about embarrassment as you can workout from your very own home. There are lots of workout class apps out there but the best I have found is Fiit.

Fiit is a free to download app with 75 classes on demand including HIIT, strength, yoga, Pilates and also 14-day training plans. Fiit premium gives you access to over 400 classes, but the free basic package still has 4 levels; entry level, beginner, intermediate and advanced so no matter what your ability there will be classes suited to you. Personally I love the fact you can do what you want when you want. If you need to relax you can do a yoga or stretch class and if you need to push yourself you could go for a strength or HIIT class. It’s your workout your way! Search “Fiit” in your app store to give it a go.

Practice mindfulness:

In this unprecedented time many people are worried about their physical health but it’s important not to forget about our mental health. I have found that taking some time each day to listen to a podcast gives me a refreshed outlook but also time to think within a busy schedule. My current personal favourite is Happy Place by Fearne Cotton where she talks to celebrities, influencers and her friends about all things mental health and where they find their happy place.

In these times of social distancing, it’s important now more than ever, to find your happy place and spend time there regularly. Your happy place could be singing in the shower, reading in your garden or playing with your pet. Everyone’s happy place is different, but they are all as equally important. To tune into this podcast search for “Happy Place” on any podcast streaming platform. For other ways of practicing mindfulness check out my post on Mindfulness Based Strengths Practice( MBSP).

Eat well and eat balanced:

During this unforeseen time when most people are getting less exercise it is essential to ensure that we stick to a healthy diet. Healthy food doesn’t have to be horrible! BBC Good Food has 40 delicious recipes that can be made easily from store cupboard staples. If like most of us, you are missing your favourite takeaway during lockdown then check out how to make your own guilt free takeaway. If you do try any of the recipes mentioned in this article, it would be great to see pictures of your creations on social media by tagging us @UoLstudentlife .

Thank you for reading. I hope this article has given you some encouragement to get up, get active and stay healthy. Let us know in the comments of this post how YOU are staying healthy during lockdown.