Physical activity at the time of COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) can make it difficult to maintain a physically active lifestyle, but we try with this article to give you some ideas and suggestions.

These measures obviously have contraindications and one of these is the difficulty of carrying out the physical activity: gyms and fitness centers, as well as city parks, are closed. The traditional corset is also prohibited unless this takes place in the immediate vicinity of our house. In this period of generalized quarantine, therefore, it is almost inevitable to remain seated and inactive for many hours.

What can we do about it?

We start from the indications of the World Health Organization (WHO), which even in normal times recommends dedicating at least 20 minutes a day to physical activity: international guidelines, in fact, identify in 150-300 minutes a week the amount of optimal physical activity to maintain a healthy and correct lifestyle.

Note well that we talk about lifestyle in general, precisely because carrying out an adequate and constant physical activity not only affects the much-feared bacon but also has countless other benefits for our entire body. Regular physical activity, in addition to making us lose weight by eliminating those extra pounds, also helps us to:

Increase the body's immune defenses and consequently decrease the chances of contracting viruses and diseases
Reduce stress and anxiety, which in a period like the one we are experiencing have certainly increased
Improve sleep quality and consequently our psycho-physical well-being
Once the ideal physical activity requirement has been established, we must understand how we can pursue this goal with all the limitations to which we are subject.

ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE HOME

Let's get one point straight: jogging near home is a formally permitted activity. After several controversies and objective difficulties in interpreting the previous rules, the new circular of March 31 of the Ministry of the Interior and a subsequent tweet from the same Interior Ministry were very clear in this regard:

But despite this note, the argument remains unclear and the applicability of the standard is not entirely taken for granted, also by virtue of the fact that in Italy we are experiencing different situations regarding the spread and concentration of the virus; so much so that we are witnessing different reactions from local administrations, dictated mostly by the different situations encountered in the various territories.

The possibility of physical activity outside our homes is therefore a very delicate topic. If on the one hand, simply following the ministerial indications, we could consider it absolutely legitimate (as well as healthy, going back to what we said at the beginning of this article), from another point of view we do not feel to recommend it nor much less to encourage it at a time so critical and delicate.

To give sensible and detailed advice we should know the specific conditions of each of you, in which neighborhood you live, if there are adequate spaces for running or walking and at what distance they are from home.

If there were no suitable alternatives to running outdoors, our advice would be to stick to common sense and a sense of responsibility.

But we don't, given that there are also other solutions to meet our daily movement needs, that is to carry out physical activity inside our homes, without any risk of contact with others or that of incurring fines (which between the other are also quite salty).

HOME ACTIVITIES

Also in this case we start from the official sources: the Ministry of Health has produced some documents that come in handy for having ideas on how to carry out the physical activity at home, to which we are pleased to add some additional recommendations and ideas.

Let's start with what is possible within our home. Obviously, some of these activities presuppose the possession of some specific tools, which not everyone has; but we will discover that there are also many other possibilities and for all tastes. Here is a small list, without pretending to be exhaustive:

• Bodyweight gymnastics
• Jump rope
• Race on the spot
• abdominal
• Push-ups on the arms
• Squat
• Yoga and Pilates
• To dance
• Stretching
• Training with the step (or with the steps of the house)
• Training with the help of objects (chair, plastic bottles, wall)
• Training with the aid of machines (exercise bike, bench, tools, etc.)
• In this case, our advice is to choose one or more activities in line with our attitudes and our possibilities. In fact, it is important not to transform what must be all in all a beneficial pleasure into a potential health risk.

Again in terms of what to do, international guidelines recommend two different types of physical activities: exercises to improve joint mobility and exercises to strengthen muscles. Of course, if the alternative is complete absence, it is fine to perform just one of the two types of exercises. But keep in mind that this is the ideal scheme recommended for a home training session:

Warm-up exercises

• Exercises for joint mobility
• Exercises to strengthen the muscles
• Final stretching exercises
• Another important point is to avoid doing activities that are not suitable for you : always consider whether the exercises you are about to do are sustainable for your body. If you come from a long period of inactivity , for example, avoid starting with sessions that are too long and tiring: your body, not accustomed for some time to such an effort, could be affected.

Always plan an incremental work table: today you will do 10, next time 15, and the next time again 20. Do not try to do too much and immediately: your body, its elasticity, and resistance must have time to get used to it.

As for the sources of inspiration on which exercises to do, technology comes in great help. From websites to videos on Youtube, to the countless applications that we can download to our tablets and smartphones, we are spoiled for choice.

In this case, we are not recommending anything in particular, also because the availability is almost infinite. What we would like to transfer to you is rather a method and recommendations of choice and selection, which you must then customize according to your needs and attitudes.

It would not be correct for us to advise you to watch that video or to download that application, because maybe what we consider useful and functional for one person may not be useful for another.

Our advice is therefore to experiment firsthand until you find what suits you best. For example, if you find a video, watch it all to the end without repeating the proposed exercises, in order to understand, in rest mode, if it is a sustainable activity for you. Do not immediately start doing the exercises proposed by the first downloaded application; take some time (there is no shortage) to choose and evaluate well.