Struggling to adjust to the new working-from-home system, and to keep fit when you can no longer go about your traditional gym/workout routine? Well, depending on where you are in the world, it appears that we seem to be getting closer to that light at the end of the COVID tunnel, but it’s still worth being vigilant.
For some inspiration and advice on keeping active and productive when stuck inside (or even just for some ideas post-lockdown when things are back to normal), we’ve compiled a small guide with a couple of tips and tricks for those of us that don’t have the luxury of an extravagant back garden to run around in. Read on to find out more, and you might think of something new to try that you hadn’t before!
Living in the city
Many young people who live in the city for the social and job opportunities that it affords are suffering at the moment, having to live and operate from within apartments that are often quite compact and small. Keeping healthy in an urban environment that doesn’t have an abundance of outdoor green space and areas for activity can be a difficult task even when you’re allowed to leave the home, and so when there’s a pandemic in place it can be even harder.
If you live in an apartment building, try to clear up to make the most of the floorspace that you have, and leverage the things available to you as much as possible.
If you aren’t as lucky, think creatively about how you can use your building. One YouTuber during the lockdown period, for example, figured out how many times he’d have to climb his 20-storey apartment building in order to match the over 8000 meter height of Mt. Everest, and conquered that challenge over the course of four long days, no doubt breaking more than a sweat and burning quite a few calories in the process. We’re not saying that you have to do something as extreme or advanced as that, but if you live on a high floor and you’re coming back from the shop, maybe taking the stairs rather than the lift would be a good first step. Get it? Step?
Using virtual reality
Here’s a bit of a different one that you may not have considered, and while it is a bit of a gimmick in some instances, it’s going to become a lot more commonplace in homes globally as the years go by. If you’ve got a VR headset lying about, be it a cheap mobile phone peripheral or full-on piece of gaming kit, you can actually use nit to help get active. The immersion will help you to escape from the same four walls for a bit, providing some escapism, and games like Beat Saber can be great for a quick workout. The best part is that often when playing, you don’t feel like you’re working out.
Did you know? – VR can have a positive effect on your health when used to complete physical activity, but It’s also used in other health industries, such as in hospitals and even to train surgeons. There are ongoing programmes that use this sort of technology in order to give trainee surgeons the closest example they’re going to get of first-hand experience, before of course experiencing it for themselves when operating and trying to help save lives. It appears that the usages and benefits of this technology from a health perspective are multifaceted!
