By Rebecca Barnes
Health and fitness education course providers OriGym have analysed data from Google search trends and Twitter to see the scale of the worldwide reaction to self-isolating and keeping physically active.Search terms such as ‘home workout,’ ‘home gym equipment,’ ‘home yoga’ and ‘bodyweight exercise’ show a 5-600 per cent increase in volume worldwide over the past week.
Twitter data also shows a huge increase in those talking about home workouts in the past week.
The data provides insight into how people are navigating these strange times and highlights the positive steps many are taking. Furthermore, it suggests that companies selling fitness equipment to the home market are going to be busy.
It’s no surprise that people are seeking information on things they can do at home given the rapid increase in those self-isolating. With more time spent at home and more hours to fill with entertainment due to fewer commutes and less outdoor socialising, people are expected to spend significantly more time watching TV streaming services.
In light of more sedentary activities seeing such a surge in numbers, it’s positive to see an uptick in people keen to maintain their physical activity levels during this unique period of time.
If you are thinking about building an at-home gym, Origym recommends the following equipment, with everyday substitutes if certain equipment is unavailable:
- Dumbbells or weighted cans (using water, sand, rice, beans), water bottles or handled laundry detergent bottles
- Kettlebells or a weighted backpack with a sturdy handle, or a handled bag of rice
- Resistance bands
- Pull-up bars
- Medicine ball
- Sandbags or gym bag or backpack, adding as much weight as you wish
Origym’s certified personal trainers have put together a circuit programme for strength and fat loss to keep you moving —visit origympersonaltrainercourses.co.uk
Former dancer turned personal trainer Melanie Fawcett, who runs Union Personal Training, sees the upside and the downside to home workouts.
“I’m a big fan of the home workout, it’s a great way to fit exercise into a busy day and helps to reinforce the importance of finding time to look after ourselves,” she says. “There are obvious advantages—it saves time and can be done without having to rearrange your life and your family life around it.
“On the other hand, working out on your own is pretty lonely and it can be hard to drum up the motivation to keep it up. Following a video is no substitute for a real-life instructor, so it can be hard to know whether you’re doing exercises properly. It’s easy to fall into bad habits, which—at worst—can lead to injuries.”
DISCLAIMER: If you are self-isolating due to having symptoms of COVID-19, it is recommended that you avoid exercise altogether, especially if you have any signs of respiratory illness.
