Lockdown has been hard on all of us for various reasons, not least of which because it was difficult to exercise due to the closures of gyms and the restrictions placed on movement. Some lucky people had access to the space and equipment needed for proper exercise within the home, while others could not access this and therefore had to put their fitness goals on hold.
Not only was it more of a challenge to get the right amount of exercise, the extra stress paired with the fact that people were mostly at home led to us eating more calories than we needed. Not many people in the UK came out of lockdown without an extra pound or two, and this still happened despite the increase in sales of home exercise programs and equipment such as stationary bikes, treadmills and weights.
If you have found yourself to be a little weightier than you’d like thanks to your lockdown lifestyle, you may be wondering how you can get back into the swing of things and get back into shape now that the world is returning to normality. The most important thing to remember is that you should not be too hard on yourself.
We have all been through something very stressful and for many it has even been traumatic, and a little weight gain is not something that you should stress over - especially if you are now deciding to do something about it! In this regard, exercise can be treated as self care, because it is one of the most fundamental ways you can look after your own health and wellbeing. Below we have listed some of the best ways you can gently ease yourself back into a healthier lifestyle.
Gentle exercises to try in 2022
If you have decided that it is time for you to work on your personal health and fitness by making time for exercise, it can be hard to know where to start especially if you have not exercised in a concentrated way before, or it has been a while since you have. The most important thing to remember is that you need to start off gently with some low impact activity to ease yourself back into a more active lifestyle. The following exercises are a great way to achieve this and are things that the vast majority of people will be able to find value and enjoyment in.
Yoga is pretty much the perfect way to ease yourself into more intense physical activity. It can be used to gently heal from injuries and promote a sense of wellbeing and calm. If you want to give yoga a try you should choose some comfortable, ethical activewear that has plenty of stretch, and then pick a beginner friendly routine with some easy flows between movements. Yoga will help to strengthen your core muscles and build flexibility, making your body more adaptable to more intense forms of exercise.
Swimming is a fantastic way to gently increase your cardiovascular strength and endurance because it is not weight bearing and you can go at your own pace. Starting off gently with some steady laps of breaststroke or front crawl will get your heart pumping without causing stress and strain on your joints. If you can manage to swim a couple of times per week consistently then you will quickly notice your fitness levels improving and will be able to increase the intensity of your swim workouts with time.
Walking is one of the cheapest and most accessible ways to exercise, and all you really need to do is dress for the weather and choose some comfortable footwear. Don’t try to go too far too fast, especially if you are not used to exercising just yet. Start off steadily by walking at a comfortable pace for 20 minutes or so, and over time you can increase the pace and distance you cover. A brisk walk of 30 minutes or so will do you the world of good in terms of your physical health and fitness, but it can also have a positive effect on your mental health, especially if you have become used to working indoors for long hours.
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