On the 23^rd March 2020 the UK, like many other countries imposed a soft lockdown to minimise travel and halt the spread of Covid-19.    It is expected that this will become a hard lockdown in time, meaning that we’ll be largely confined to homes until this is all over.

Here then are some tips to help you stay healthy throughout this crisis:

1. Train like a prisoner: Many convicts only get an hour of time outside of their cells a day. In order to stay fit they use frequency in order to stay strong.  This could mean that they do ten pull ups each hour in their cell, or multiple sets of push ups throughout the day.
2. Find ways to relax: This is a stressful time. And it doesn’t help that there is seemingly only one thing anyone will talk about.  It is crucial to have downtime away from it, to have a break from the coronavirus conversation and to reduce your stress levels.  Stress lowers the immune system and makes you more susceptible. 
3. Get your family to exercise with you: Everyone should try to stay fit and active. At this time it is important to get those around you to be active too.  Therefore trying to exercise as a family is vital. 
4. Go low carb: Typically I don’t advocate this one, but as everyone is stuck indoors movement will drastically fall. Therefore people need less calories than normal, and reducing (but not eliminating) carbs is a sensible decision, as the type of exercise you’d use to burn them off is unavailable right now.
5. Use cleaning as a means to workout: the closest thing to heavy lifting available to you are home is cleaning. The type of cleaning that is usually reserved for a couple of times a year.  that suitcase of clothes on top the wardrobe you’d been meaning to sort. Working up some elbow grease to clean the oven. Lifting the sofa up so your partner can get underneath it.  These are the type of cleaning you can use in lieu of weight training.
6. Opt for fresh produce over canned goods and pre-packaged meals: At a time like this it is important to get all the nutrients you can. And there is no better source than fresh fruit and veg.  Whilst the panic buyers raced out for tins of peas and beans I raced out for fresh veg to make soups, which can be frozen. 
7. Ensure you get adequate sleep each night: Sleep is often overlooked, but it is absolutely critical to ensuring that you are rested and recovered for the next day. And rest and recovery are absolutely crucial to ensuring that your immune system stays strong throughout the crisis.