It’s difficult to imagine a worse time to be doing anything other than donning clean pyjamas, hunkering down, binging Netflix and eating your own body weight in chocolate, than during a global pandemic. In the middle of winter.
In fact, many of us entered full-on hibernation mode at the start of lockdown, way back in March 2020. The world as a whole stocked up on supplies and stayed indoors.
We plucked up the courage to enjoy the summer in our newly spruced gardens, before retreating to the comfort of our homes as the trees grew bare and the first frosts appeared.
And hasn’t your daily routine been thrown out of whack ever since? Along with your brain and body? As much as you know you ought to exercise more, some days, just making it through to bedtime without collapsing on the Karndean and begging for mercy is enough.
Whether exercise has been a constant in your life or not, there’s no doubt that as a nation our collective fitness levels have taken a dive during lockdown.
Hands up if you’re a badge wearing member of the ‘Quarantine 15’ club? Yes. Us too.
It’s harder now, more than ever before, to muster up the enthusiasm to exercise. Pools and gyms are closed, fitness classes are cancelled, and tennis courts locked up. While your kitchen cupboards are groaning under the weight of your panic-buy food purchases.
But a recent survey conducted by Nuffield Health yielded surprising results. A whopping three quarters of us have taken up at least one new form of exercise since lockdown began, with three in ten people introducing walking into our day to day lives. Great news for our collective physical and mental health.
Based upon NHS guidelines that ‘adults should do some type of physical activity everyday’ amounting to ‘at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity’, we asked three ClearO2 customers how they make the most of their daily exercise during lockdown.
Elsie suggests; “I exercise when the mood takes me now. At the start of lockdown, I was trying to be strict with myself and do a yoga class before the kids woke up, but I ended up feeling stressed because I couldn’t really fit it in. So, I’m kinder to myself now. I plan to do something which raises my heart rate for half an hour at some point during my day. That might be a walk with the children, a quick HIIT workout online or some weights while I’m making dinner. And that’s ok for now. My tip would be to dress in workout clothes when you wake up, then you’re ready when you get a spare moment!”
“I have a hectic job and work long hours.” says Dan, “I need to be firing on all cylinders and at my most productive 100% of the time. Running is what keeps me sane. Especially given the current situation. I’m pretty high energy, so before I head out for my daily 10km, I bolster my reserves with ClearO2. I always have a 15L can on the go – the one with the inhaler cap. It gives me what I need to knock out the miles and using it again when I get home means I can get straight down to work with a clear head. After a shower!”
Kate told us “Ei8ht energy sachets are my superpower! They’re enhanced with oxygen, vitamin B3, B12 and caffeine. I mix a cherry flavoured one with water before I exercise, and it really packs a punch. I like to sweat, so do a Kayla Itsines full body workout on YouTube in my bedroom and it always lifts my mood.”
So, search the internet for an exercise programme you can do in your dining room, head out for a walk with a friend, book an online class, or go for a run. And be sure to make the most of your daily exercise during lockdown with a boost from ClearO2.
