Keeping active during lockdown

By Juliana Kassianos, Health and Wellbeing Therapist

Exercise helps our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, which is why it’s important for us to keep integrating movement into our day during lockdown. Aim for at least 20-25 minutes of moderate intense activity a day, either indoor or in a public outdoor place, such as parks or public gardens. This could be a brisk walk, cycling or one of our online gym team workouts. You should notice your heart rate increase, you feel warmer and your breathing becomes faster, but you should still be able to hold a conversation.

What can you do under the new rules?

You can exercise locally in a public outdoor place once a day, no time limit applied. This can be by yourself, with people you live with, a support bubble, a childcare bubble or with one other person from another household, as long as you maintain social distancing and keep moving – so no stopping for a chat.

Benefits of exercise

Maintain a healthy weight
Improve circulation
Tone muscles
Raise energy levels
Reduce stress and anxiety
Boost self-esteem and mood
Improve sleep quality
Reduce risk of major illness

Types of Exercise

Different types of exercise have various benefits to our health and wellbeing. Along with moderate intense activity, you may want to try restorative exercise and short bursts of high-intensity exercise.

Restorative exercise like Yoga is made up of slow, steady and sustained movement that helps not only increase muscle tone, but leaves you feeling calmer and more relaxed. Try an energising morning Yoga routine with Lesley for a great start to your day.

Short bursts of high-intensity exercise like jumping jacks, skipping or stair-climbing, just three minutes total, three times a week, can help you improve your circulation, cardio health and insulin sensitivity. Follow each of the three 60 second bursts, with 30 seconds of rest.

Create a movement menu

Write a list of movements you find enjoyable, for varying energy levels and time restraints, which you can incorporate into your daily routine. For example:

Walking
Running
Cycling
Stair-climbing
Skipping
Jumping Jacks
Cardio workout
Yoga
Pilates
Hula-hooping
Dancing

Put the list somewhere in view, like on your fridge. Every morning ask yourself what type of movement your body wants to do that day and choose a movement or two from the list. Again, aim to do at least 20-25 minutes of moderate intense activity a day. Schedule a time in your day to do it. If you generally feel tired in the evening, make time in the morning. Set an alarm on your phone if you need a reminder.

If you’re lacking self-motivation, try listening to music, podcasts or an audiobook whilst working out, use Apps or ‘YouTube’ for guided workouts, do different types of exercise throughout the week, exercise with your partner or a friend who can hold you accountable and make it more enjoyable, and keep in mind just how great you’ll feel afterwards. Think about what might stop you from sticking to your exercise routine and put things in place to make sure they don’t get in the way.

What are your sedentary habits?

Try to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting or lying down at home, breaking up long periods of inactivity. First make a list (can be mental) of all the times during the day when you’re not moving. This might be when you’re at your desk or on the sofa in the evening.

Then, think about how you could add micro-movements into your day like stretching, rotating ankles and wrists, getting up and taking a few more scheduled breaks when working, walking around the house or garden, standing whilst speaking on the phone, doing cleaning, gardening or general home improvements.

We’re looking forward to welcoming you back to Nirvana soon, but in the meantime, we hope these exercise tips help you maintain your health, fitness and wellbeing.