Exercise in periods of isolation

Dance for a while and/or walk all around your home. You can visit all the rooms and vary the routes; march in place; go at different speeds (fast or slow) over 10-minute periods, 3 or 4 times a day. Take off your slippers and put on your trainers.

When watching TV, take advantage of the ad breaks to stand up, do ankle mobility exercises, or stretch your legs out.

Mix up the furniture you sit on: the sofa, an armchair, a dining chair, a stool or pouf, and so on. Don’t spend more than two hours at a time sitting down.

Set a timer (alarm clock, kitchen timer, mobile app, fitness tracker, etc.), to remind you to move around (walking, stretching, etc.).

Take the opportunity to stand or lean while you read the news or scroll through social media, and move or walk around while you listen to the radio.

Use the time to stand or walk, if you can, while you talk on the phone or videoconference with friends and/or family.

Use the stairs for exercise, if this is an option for you, spending 10 minutes going up and down one or two floors, and repeat the set two or three times a day. This is a good way to balance out the work your legs do as you go up and down. (If you’re in shape you can climb or descend more floors before turning around). 

• If the stairs are shared by other flats, avoid touching banisters, doorknobs and lift buttons. When you go back inside your home, wash your hands with soap or use hand sanitiser, and if you see any neighbours, be sure to keep a (ICONO) safe distance. 

Plan an exercise routine for muscle strength, coordination and flexibility to do three or four times a week, following online videos by professionals whose exercise regimes you already follow. 

• To avoid health risks, only use videos by fitness and sports professionals. Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. 

Approach housework as a daily fitness activity (making beds, airing rooms and shaking out rugs, dusting, sweeping or vacuuming, washing windows, ironing, looking after plants, gardening, etc.).

Do the tasks you keep putting off, such as organising cupboards or wardrobes, reorganising a store-room or the larder, moving the furniture around, or decluttering toys, objects, clothes, etc. 

• Be prudent and don’t take unnecessary risks, like climbing ladders to unhook curtains, washing upper windows, or tidying the upper shelves, for example.