Physical activity in the conditions of a pandemic and related limitations

Physical activity helps build immunity and fight stress, which should be of particular interest to us during a pandemic. Working at home, bad weather and finally closed sports facilities are not conducive to maintaining an appropriate level of activity.

Exercise is an important part of a properly functioning body and helps many body systems work. The natural environment of man has always been and will always be movement, so any attempt to stop the body at rest for a long time ends with pain in various regions of both the body and mind. Despite the closed gyms and pools, there are still plenty of training options.

WAYS TO SPEND TIME ACTIVELY

The winter weather was not conducive to outdoor activities, but fortunately the temperature rises week by week and we can spend time actively outdoors. Walking, running and cycling are the most frequently chosen forms of recreation by Poles. In addition, we have at our disposal outdoor gyms, which are more and more every year. There are usually several machines and there is a sign next to each of them explaining how to use them. It is a great solution for parents of young children, as such gyms are often located near playgrounds. In addition, especially in larger cities, there are so-called street workouts equipped with equipment for strength training, incl. bars or ladders.

When it comes to home training, we are only limited by our imagination, time and, of course, living conditions. Let the excuse not be the lack of a mat or equipment - the former can be replaced with a towel or a carpet, and water bottles can be used as a load. Both for your health and well-being, it is worth spending 20 to 60 minutes on such training and not focusing only on one form of training. One day it may be stretching or yoga, the other day stronger strength training in the form of a circuit, i.e. several exercises performed one after another in the so-called circuits. There are too many ideas for movement, but the big question is:

HOW TO MOTIVE YOURSELF?

Let the first stone to be thrown by those who, after two or three training sessions, have not dropped their weapons. It is extremely difficult for most people to persevere in their decisions and requires a proper approach, but it is not impossible. The most important thing is attitude - if we treat physical activity or training as a punishment and necessity, unfortunately, we will always look for excuses and find many more important matters to do. Movement should be approached as a medicine that does not act in points, but holistically, on the whole body. Movement makes our body function properly, we feel better, and all this because people have been adapted to living in motion for millennia.

The most important thing is to develop a habit that we are able to achieve after a month of systematic exercise. A habit makes our body adapt to movement, getting used to it and becoming addicted - just like it is addicted to sugar. After a month of systematic activity - I guarantee - you will feel a difference in how you feel and in many different aspects of your life.

Remember, if you have problems with motivation, give yourself 30 days. Even if this month is like a punishment for you, you will change your attitude after a month. Depending on the way of organizing your life and the day, you can set specific days for physical activity, or set up exercises, e.g. 4 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes, and try to implement such assumptions. For some, the reward system for completing the task is also motivating (of course, we are not talking about a reward in the form of a packet of chips or a set with Mc Donald's).

USEFUL GADGETS AND APPS

In many areas of life, we are looking for things that will make it easier for us to carry out everyday activities. Already at the beginning of the road with sport, many people decide to buy accessories and devices that will make training more enjoyable. The power of sports gadgets is so great that many people decide to exercise only thanks to their purchase, among other things!

More and more technically advanced smartwatches, i.e. electronic wristbands, are appearing on the market, be it in the form of a bracelet or in the form of a watch, which fulfill many functions, such as heart rate measurement, the ability to connect to GPS and navigation, and finally the ability to receive SMS messages. The standard among smartwatches is communication with the phone or headphones via the Bluetooth function.

At the same time, such bands fulfill the function of a watch and contain another function useful in measuring daily activity, namely a pedometer. In recent years, there is a popular statement that a person should take a minimum of 10,000 steps a day - not supported by research, but the most appropriate approach to movement. This value provides the level of activity necessary to maintain a healthy body weight and health. Other gadgets that can motivate you to exercise are the stylish exercise mat gin, a colorful water bottle, sports clothes or sports equipment, in the form of recently popular sports gums. They take up little space, you can pack them for a trip and use them to train the whole body.

When it comes to technology, we cannot forget about websites such as Youtube. Thousands if not millions of videos with exercises, training and tutorials are available there. However, remember to use them with caution and adjust the exercises to your skills and dispositions.