As ‘lockdown’ measures continue, the UK is seeing more of us than ever exercising outside. It seems people are clearly taking full advantage of the daily exercise allowance, or in other words our single chance to get out the house.

As a result, in recent weeks we have seen the revival of the ‘walk’ and ‘run’ as Britons’ preferred means of exercise, though, granted without too much choice. Nonetheless, these trends will be having all sorts of positives on the population; for instance being outside in the fresh air has been scientifically proven to reduce depression and anxiety, not to mention the extra vitamin D we’re getting from sun exposure has equally been found to have significant mood-enhancing benefits. It is also perhaps easier to work out with friends in usual circumstances outdoors than in gyms where there is less open space, helping to make it a more social and fun activity.

Outdoor exercise is also bringing other more niche positives for us ‘locked-down’ Britons. For instance, having started ‘Couch to 5K’ with my mum, I have explored more of my village in these last few weeks than I have in my whole life – following footpaths I didn’t even know existed. It has definitely helped me to appreciate and enjoy where I live more. Though for me the best thing about walks and runs is that these are a form of exercise we can do with our furry companions, making it ten times more fun and interesting. In fact, going for runs with my dog is actually really helpful as he physically won’t let me give up, pulling me along each time I try to give up – who needs a personal trainer, right?

But also, for those who are unlucky not to have gardens during this time and live in places which don’t easily facilitate outdoor exercise, many are turning to online ‘home’ workouts where often all you need is yourself, your living room and maybe a weight or two.

The extreme popularity of these since lockdown has led to YouTube gym coaches such as Joe Wicks, coined ‘the nation’s PE teacher’, becoming practically a national hero. Having tried the videos myself I would say his workouts are definitely worth giving a go if, like me, you sometimes need some encouragement when it comes to exercise, or equally if you are looking to target specific areas such as your abs.

Home workouts are also great because these allow you to get pretty imaginative and varied with how you work out. The huge assortment of videos on YouTube mean you can do a different style of exercise each time – including Zumba, boxing and yoga to name a few. These are the sorts of activity that felt previously inaccessible to many of us, feeling put off by the cost of gym classes or the idea of joining them solo for instance, two disincentives that aren’t so much an issue when you don’t have to leave your living room.

So, with people starting to enjoy the new changes being made to their exercise routines, and with exercise starting to feel a bit more like something for everyone, could we see our new quarantine exercise habits sticking around for good? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

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