The COVID restrictions have taken their toll on many aspects of our lives. Many people find that they are eating more, drinking more alcohol and lacking motivation. That's why it's so important to be aware of your daily habits and make a genuine effort to stay active during lockdown. After all, staying active boosts the immune system as well as your general physical and mental heath and wellbeing.

The Health Service Exective says:

Here are some great, simple tips from the HSE on how you can introduce some activity in your daily life.

  1. Move in your chair. At work, set a reminder to stand up and move every 30 minutes.
  2. Take it easy when starting a new fitness routine. Begin with 5 to 10 minutes a few times a week and build up to the recommended 30 minutes 5 days a week.
  3. Walk as much as you can throughout the day. It’s a great form of activity and it’s free.
  4. Active housework counts toward your activity goals. Gardening, hoovering, cleaning floors and washing windows are all good ways of keeping active.
  5. Join an online walking or sports challenge group. People who join a group for activity are more motivated to be active. Many groups like this have appeared online since COVID restrictions began.
  6. Be active indoors. There are countless fitness, dance and exercise videos on YouTube which will inspire you to try something new!

At home

At work

Challenge yourself

Challenge yourself after you’ve gotten into the habit of walking. Set yourself goals. This might be how many steps you can take over 4 weeks or how far you can walk over 21 days.

Download the cards below from the HSE to help you keep track of your progress:

4 Week Step Challenge record card

21 Day Walking Challenge