Published on: 02-Mar-2022
How has the pandemic changed your daily life? How has it changed positively and how has it changed your life negatively? From physically distancing from others, working from home, or how we attend events such as basketball games or the theater, the world will never be the same. In this article we will address how our fitness behaviors have changed and how COVID-19 has affected our fitness.
Exercise Frequency
Exercise frequency is the number of training sessions someone has in a given time period (usually a week).
You should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. It’s important to also reduce the amount of sitting time you do in a day because it can affect your overall health and longevity (even if you are getting the right amount of exercise a day). Research also shows that people tend to keep the weight they’ve lost off by limiting their sitting time.
Aerobic Activity
The CDC recommends you get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week. You should spread your workouts throughout the week. If you’re aiming to lose or maintain weight, or just live a healthier lifestyle, the CDC recommends 300 minutes of aerobic activity each week.
Moderate Exercise Activities
Some examples of moderate activities include:
- Walking briskly (4 mph)
- Heavy cleaning (washing windows, vacuuming, mopping)
- Mowing lawn (power mower)
- Bicycling, light effort (10-12 mph)
- Recreational badminton
- Tennis doubles
Vigorous Exercise Activities
Some examples of vigorous activities include:
- Hiking
- Jogging at 6 mph
- Shoveling
- Carrying heavy loads
- Bicycling fast (14-16 mph)
- Basketball game
- Soccer game
- Tennis singles
Strength Training
The CDC recommends you do strength training for each of the major muscle groups at least twice a week. You should aim to do each exercise using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
Strength Training Activities
Some strength training activities include:
- Lifting weights
- Working with resistance bands
- Heavy gardening, such as digging and shoveling
- Climbing stairs
- Hill walking
- Cycling
- Dancing
- Push-ups, sit-ups and squats
Covid and Exercise
With all the lockdowns and stress the past couple years, exercise has many benefits and is a great strategy to maintain good overall health during this time. Regular exercise, along with healthy eating, can help reduce stress and anxiety.
For kids and adolescents, exercise can help with self-esteem, improve concentration, reduce depressive symptoms, and improve sleep.
Adults also benefit from exercise when it comes to sleep, anxiety, and depression. Exercise can also help individuals manage chronic medical conditions.
Resuming Exercise After COVID-19
Getting back to exercise after any illness or injury should be taken slowly. COVID-19 adds an additional layer when it comes to resuming exercise because of potential complications or prolonged symptoms of the virus.
Some tips when resuming exercise after COVID- 19 include:
- Don’t exercise while you still have symptoms of COVID-19
- Start slow and gradually up the intensity
- Listen to your body
- Always consult and seek guidance from your doctor
For some people exercise doesn’t come easy or it’s difficult to stay motivated to consistently work out. The good news is there are coaches and personal trainers who can assist you.
Changes in the Fitness Industry
Because of closures, businesses have had to get creative during the pandemic. The fitness industry was no exception. Here are some ways the pandemic has permanently changed fitness.
- Rise of mental workouts through mindfulness and meditation apps.
- Athleisure wear gets a boost during the pandemic.
- COVID fatigued customers who’ve missed the in-person classes and social interaction.
- Rise in fitness done from home using apps
Here is a list of some of the best fitness apps in 2022:
- Sworkit- Best overall fitness app
- C25K- Best for fitness beginners
- Strava Running and Cycling- Best for running
- Tracker Gym Log- Best strength training app
- Pear- Best personal training app
- Foodility- Best meal-tracking app
- MyFitnessPal- Best calorie counter
- Fooducate- Best for nutrition
- Nourishly- Best for meal planning
- Happy Not Perfect- Best for stress relief
- Calm- Best for meditation
- SleepScore- Best for sleep
Finally, Exercise can help you have better overall physical and mental health. Figure out how exercise fits into your lifestyle. Perhaps a personal trainer can help you stay motivated. What fitness apps will help you be successful? Make an exercise plan for yourself and stick to it!
By: Katie Meyers, an SEO Specialist at SEO Design Chicago. Before joining the SEO Design Chicago team, she interned for them, as well as interned as a Content Writer at HZD Creates. Katie is from Washington State and has an AA and a Social Media Marketing Certificate.
