The nation is back in lockdown. Lockdown number 3 to be exact. There’s a multitude of reasons why the third instalments in movie franchises often fail to deliver the same quality as their predecessors. The plot is tired and worn out, the audience has seen it all before, it’s lost its charm, essentially the novelty has worn off. This is what’s happening now, in this latest iteration of lockdown.

If there was to be any redeeming factors about the initial period of restrictions, it was that we were treading new ground, we were given an opportunity to slow things down, spend extra time with our families, learn to appreciate what we have close by and realise what really matters the most when we strip it all back; our health and the health of our loved ones. 

Of course, the weather helped too.

However, the subsequent bouts of restrictions have felt different. 

It is now more important than ever to do everything we can to boost our physical and mental health. The two are intrinsically linked, physical exercise can have a positive impact on our mental wellbeing and a positive mood and outlook can help us adhere to a schedule and get the most from our exercise. There is a problem though, gyms, leisure centres, sports halls and fitness studios are all closed under the latest mandate so we must turn to new, more inventive, yet often simple ways to get our fitness fix.

As with any fitness plan, the key is consistency and adherence. As ever, doing ‘something’ is going to be better than doing nothing. This could also be a great time to try something new. For instance, if your go to training is purely strength and conditioning, this could be a great time to incorporate a stretching and mobility program requiring little to no kit or an individual well versed in cardio training, could choose to try out a body weight or calisthenics program.

If possible, make appointments with yourself, essentially book yourself out for a block of time, perhaps at set times and on set days, this way, after a short period of time, this will become a habit. Don’t just leave exercise to chance, make the time and use it to decompress and unwind.

Despite the weather, try to get outside. We’re spending a lot of time at home, for some their house is not only a home, but also an office and a school. While training at home has its advantages, getting out and about where we can certainly help to boost our mood. A brisk walk, a cycle or a run are all great forms of exercise that do wonders for our cardiovascular system, release feel good hormones and give us a vital break from the monotony of staying indoors.

At the heart of everything is a global pandemic, a respiratory virus that attacks the lungs. Numerous studies have shown that excess weight, poor cardiovascular health and a weaker immune system can be compounding factors in how severe an individual may suffer if infected with Covid-19. Staying indoors and isolating from others is a sure-fire way of avoiding unnecessary risk however this can take a great toll on our mental wellbeing. It’s important that we maintain our physical fitness and do what we can to regularly boost our mood and keep our mental state positive.