Do Your Bit for the NHS - Tips on Staying Active

In this unprecedented time and with controls on our free movement stronger than we’ve ever seen before in the western world, I thought that I could provide some useful tips on the importance of staying active and how to do so within current restrictions.

These tips come from my perspective as someone for whom the study of human behaviour and the limitations of the human body is a living and for whom exercise and fitness are somewhat of an obsession. The fact I’m also married to the CEO of a charity whose role is to encourage activity and healthy living in the region also gives me an interesting perspective on both our short-term and long-term needs as a nation.

So, before we go any further, I want to put this message out there loud and clear; please follow the government’s guidance. This is obviously key to reducing the spread of COVID-19, but I also feel we should be following their guidance on levels of activity, and I will quickly outline why below, before getting into the hints and tips section.

We are currently in the midst of a global crisis, which has so far been going for about 4 months and has the potential to kill around 1%* of the UK’s population – at present we are by no means currently the worst impacted country.

However, we are also in the midst of an obesity and inactivity crisis, which has been going for considerably longer than 4 months and has the potential to kill an even larger proportion of the population (obesity has been found to lead to a 70%** increase in the likelihood of heart failure and the UK obesity rate is currently around 28%***). Unfortunately, in this we are currently the worst impacted country in Western Europe.

We also know that any loss of core strength and flexibility in older people leaves them more prone to falls, which often lead to hospital visits, reduction in ability to remain active and independent, and therefore create additional strain on what are already restricted healthcare and social care resources.

As such, I think it’s essential that we use the allotted allowance from the government to undertake exercise, while also obviously attempting to eat healthily, to help not only get through this current crisis, but to help avert an upcoming one which has already begun to cripple our health service.

To help with this, I have pulled together the following hints and tips, based on my own experience and knowledge – it’s worth noting that I am not a fitness training professional, so exercise caution when following the advice of someone who thinks it’s fun to run 60+ miles!

If you can get outdoor exercise in a safe manner whilst maintaining social distance, do so

The benefits of time outdoors have been thoroughly researched and well publicised. From the physical benefits of fresh air, increased Vitamin D levels and the exercise itself to the mental benefits of changing scenery, time away from screens etc, the list of benefits is huge, so exploit them wherever you can.

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If you live in an area where population density or availability of wide pavements etc. means that you can’t get outdoor exercise, do something indoors

More tips on this below.

Assuming you’re able to get some outdoor exercise, I have a few tips based on my experience being out running over the past few days:

Judge Your Distance

Not the length of your run, walk or bike ride, but that of your distance from other people. Human beings are not brilliant at judging relatively small distances in a dynamic environment, so it might help to remember the following when working out whether you’re maintaining a 2m distance from others who are out; even a 95th percentile UK male’s maximum arm-span is only 1.9m, so if there is any chance that you and any person you meet while exercising could reach out and touch fingers, you’re very unlikely to be 2m apart!

Timing is Everything

Try and choose a time when you know the area you’re exercising is likely not to be busy – it’s a lot easier to stay at least 2m away from people if they’re not there!

Take the Path Less Trodden

If you know the area you’re exercising well, hopefully it shouldn’t be too hard to work out where to go to get away from others.

Wide is Good

When it comes to the area you choose for your exercise, try and find one where you know you will be able to create enough distance between yourself and anyone you come across. Obviously, narrow, tree-lined footpaths are lovely if you know nobody else will be there but are far from ideal if you come across someone and need to try and maintain a 2m distance!

Pick A Side, Any Side

When you’re out exercising, pick a side of the road or path that you’re using and keep over there rather than going down the middle. This gives the best chance for you to keep a good distance between you and anyone you meet (while also avoiding that awkward shuffle-dance where you’re closing the distance between one another while trying to work out which way to go!)

Practice Safe Overtaking

This isn’t Formula 1, you don’t want to be getting up close enough to draft behind someone going the same way as you and using their speed to slingshot past them. You need to know that you’re maintaining a safe distance before, during and after overtaking, so maybe just slow down and wait for an appropriate moment.

Do Not Over-Train

The temptation to get out during the “exercise time” we’ve been allowed and to really blow away the cobwebs every day will be huge. However, a tired body has a considerably weaker immune system, which is obviously something best avoided at the moment! As such, try to keep your activity at similar or slightly elevated levels to those of your normal life – enjoy a day with a walk instead of a run, for example.

Smile

This is my most important tip. When I’ve run ultra-marathons, I’ve learned that the best way to keep yourself motivated while running for most of the day is to enter every conversation with the aim of being the most positive person in it. By doing this, you either pick up the mood of the person you’re interacting with, or have your own good thoughts reflected back at you, both of which help to lift your own mood as well.

Whilst you’re not likely to be close enough to the people out exercising at the same time to have a conversation, the principle remains the same. If you can smile, wave and say “hello” to those you meet, you’re bound to pick up both of your moods. And who knows, in these times maybe you’re the only person that other individual will interact with on that day, so you being positive and happy could totally change their day!

(By the way, I know that for some of us when we’re working hard on our exercise this is likely to be more of a grimace than a smile, but every little helps!)

Stay Safe

Actually, maybe this is my most important tip. Before any of us heard of COVID-19, we would have never considered going out for a run or bike ride in the dark, while wearing dark clothing and with no lights on. Just because there are less people around and cars on the roads, this doesn’t mean that we should forget these basic safety approaches. So wear bright clothes, use lights on your bike (or on your body if running and you have them), don’t wear headphones that block out the outside world, tell someone in your household or friendship group where you’re going and take your phone with you in case you need to contact someone.

If You Can’t Get Outside, Get Online

If you’re not in an area where getting out for your exercise is likely to be possible, hopefully you can make a space within your home to allow you to do some exercise in the house. For this, you could go old-school and switch back to doing press-ups and sit-ups like some sort of classic army recruitment video, or you could use the tools at hand to bring a coach into your home.

There are a huge number of online videos and coaching sessions that you can follow, most of which require zero equipment whatsoever. Obviously Google and YouTube are your friends when seeking this out, but a few options that I’ve found good in the past are:

Joe Wicks, The Body Coach

If you can get past his bouncy hair and even more bouncy personality, Joe Wicks does some excellent short workout sessions. These generally require no equipment whatsoever and he has tailored videos for a number of different age groups, ability levels and exercise area sizes. His Hotel HIIT sessions are particularly good if you’re in shared accommodation, a block of apartments or your kids are in bed, as they are low-impact to reduce noise associated with your workout.

Yoga with Adrienne

This one is a matter of getting past the chipper nature of the lady herself, but actually her sessions are very good and can really help to relax.

ROMWOD

Yes, that’s a word… well an acronym actually – it stands for Range Of Movement Workout Of the Day and is effectively a set of very long-hold stretches which you’re guided through by the coaches. Generally you have to pay for this, but there is often a free trial period going and it is excellent for getting rid of tightness from too much time indoors.

Joe Wicks, the Nation’s PE Teacher

Ok, so this is kind of a repeat of the top option, but Joe Wicks is also doing live-streamed half-hour sessions at 9am every day designed for all ages and abilities to do to keep active during the COVID-19 crisis.

Having done these sessions with my kids, I can confirm that they will definitely get you sweating, no matter your fitness level!

These are also available to use any time, not just when he’s live.

Links to Other Exercise Advice for In Your Home

A great resource packed with options for all age groups and social backgrounds can be found on my aforementioned wife’s charity’s website: www.tynewearsport.org/active-at-home

You Are What You Eat

There is a famous saying amongst the running community – you can’t outrun a bad diet. I’m here to tell you that you definitely can’t outrun a bad diet if you’re only able to get outside for one form of exercise a day. As such, taking a little more notice of what you’re eating during this period is obviously a sensible option. I mean, it helps that all the cafes are shut, but being that close to the treat box all day…

If you’re someone who likes technology, statistics or is just not the best at monitoring what they eat on a day-to-day basis, downloading an app like MyFitnessPal could be a useful aid to this. By understanding your body’s needs and what it’s able to get from the food you put into it daily, you can really help to ensure you’re getting the right balance of foods.              

I hope that some of the above is of use to people, please do comment with what your own tips are or details of what you’re getting up to in order to keep fit and healthy in these very challenging times.

*Based on current estimates of mortality rates amongst those who contract COVID-19.

**BBC Article – April 2019: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48088391

***Nuffield Trust data form 2018: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/obesity?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIudHFtumy6AIVGeDtCh3H8gdiEAAYASAAEgK2H_D_BwE