Physical Activity
How the pandemic changed physical activity
Impacts of the pandemic included lockdowns, closure of businesses, and extra precautionary sanitary measures that changed not only everyday life, but physical activity as a whole. Essentially, reduced physical activity levels accompanied by an overall increase in sedentary behavior have been identified as serious concerns during quarantine resulting from the pandemic (Bentlage et al., 2020). With the closure of gyms, individuals either continued their exercise regimes at home, or fell into the sedentary lifestyle, becoming the modern-day "couch potato".
Keep Your Distance
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended social distancing and they discouraged any human-to-human contact in order to control the transmission of the virus (Wong et al., 2020). While practicing "social distancing", individuals are expected to remain at least 6-feet apart anywhere they go with the inclusion of wearing a mask; this also applies to anyone working out at the gym.
Stay Active
There has been a substantial decrease in physical activity as well as an increase in sedentary lifestyles as a result of the COVID-19 home-confinement; some consequences of inactivity includes a higher mortality rate and poorer general health and fitness altogether (Bentlage et al., 2020). Therefore, even with lockdowns and closures of gyms, it is imperative to remain active during quarantine.
When in Doubt, Safety First
Although exercise may be important, especially for competitive athletes, safety is still the main priority (Wong et al., 2020). If your normal routine is effected due to gyms or heavy equipment/weight machines being unavailable, there are always other alternatives. Go outside or get active at home, but remember to throw on that mask and keep your distance when you go out, and most importantly, stay safe!
Although we are in a midst of a pandemic, we can always find ways to perform physical activity and exercise for the benefit of healthy lifestyle while living with safety protocols.
Home Activities
It’s no secret that physical activity is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. Movement of any sort promotes good heart health, strong bones and improved balance. Sitting around all day can even reduce how long you live. Studies have shown that even small bits of physical activity throughout the day will lengthen and improve your life.
However, it can be difficult to get in daily exercise when you’re at home. Whether’s it’s for health reasons or simply a lack of access to proper equipment, finding ways to increase physical activity at home can be a challenge. The good news is that you’re probably more active than you think. Using the stairs in your home or building, taking pets for walks and even scrubbing stubborn grease off dishes all count as physical activity.
Online Class
Many gyms offer online workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own home, so take advantage of them. These virtual group classes range from aerobics to yoga and Pilates, allowing you to keep up your exercise regiment in a convenient way.
Virtual classes and even fitness DVDs provide great examples of physical activities you can do at home since they allow you to get everything from cardio to stretching in one place. You can also choose which classes to join based on your fitness level and long-term goals.
Dance
How long has it been since you had a dance to your favourite music? Let your hair down, draw the curtains if you’ve got particularly nosy neighbours, pump some beats, and get moving. It’ll only take about eight songs for you to get your 30 minutes in, so make sure you choose your best bangers to get your heart beat up!
Swing dancing, tap dancing, ballet or salsa – there are so many different styles of dance that will raise your heart rate and challenge your coordination. Most dance classes take one-off or term-based sign-ups, so you can try one style for a few months, and then switch it up.
Video Games
Video games often get a bad reputation for inspiring laziness and promoting violence, but studies have shown that active gaming is a useful tool for promoting health and physical activity. Fitness and exercise video games are designed to be played with the whole body, requiring players to jump and move around to progress.
Active gaming makes exercise much easier for kids, and it’s also known to help adults get more physically active. Play these games with your kids to get a workout and some quality time.
References
Bentlage, Ellen, Ammar, Achraf, How, Daniella, Ahmed, Mona, Trabelsi, Khaled, Chtourou, Hamdi, & Brach, Michael. (2020). Practical Recommendations for Maintaining Active Lifestyle during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), 6265. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176265
Wong, Ashley Ying-Ying, Ling, Samuel Ka-Kin, Louie, Lobo Hung-Tak, Law, George Ying-Kan, So, Raymond Chi-Hung, Lee, Daniel Chi-Wo, Yau, Forrest Chung-Fai, & Yung, Patrick Shu-Hang. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports and exercise. Asia-Pacific Journal of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, Rehabilitation and Technology, 22, 39–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asmart.2020.07.006