It’s no exaggeration to say that sport is your best friend. Not only does it help you clear your head, but it also puts you in a positive frame of mind, gives you plenty of energy and keeps you healthy. Exercise and good health are inextricably linked, with one actively feeding the other.
Over the past year or so, many of our priorities have shifted. Despite of, or perhaps due to, the pandemic, we are increasingly keen to find the time, whether it be 10 minutes or half an hour, to move our bodies and do some exercise. This is beneficial for our physical selves, but also for our minds, which need the break to set us up for a new day.
ARTIEM wants to help you enjoy the physical and mental benefits of movement. Keep reading to discover our top tips to keep exercising – safely – during the coronavirus pandemic.
Where should I exercise outdoors?
The main piece of advice is that you should choose an outdoor space where you can do the exercise you want while respecting all the health and safety measures that are in place. This may be the park, the beach or areas in your hometown that are dedicated to sport. Make sure there is plenty of shade and fresh air, and that you avoid exercising in the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest. Your health will thank you for it.
Get active outdoors at least half an hour each day
It’s very easy to find excuses for not exercising, so make a plan. Pencil in at least half an hour of exercise into your diary each day. Decide on a time and try your hardest to stick to your commitment every day to help you establish a new routine. It is said that it takes just 20 days to create a new habit. After that you won’t even think about it, exercising will just be a normal part of your day.
Make sure you warm up
Now you’ve decided where and at what time you’re going to exercise, it’s time to warm up. Lasting around 5 minutes, the warm-up gets your muscles ready for movement and starts to slightly raise your heartbeat. Warm-ups reduce the risk of injury during exercise.
And now it’s time to get stuck in. But what forms of exercise can you safely do outdoors during the pandemic?
Go running
One of the best ways to exercise safely right now is to go for a run in open spaces: places where you aren’t likely to bump into lots of people and where you can enjoy being at one with nature. If you also cross train, eat well and keep up a good exercise routine, you can really improve your performance. ARTIEM Sports is sure that when the pandemic passes, we will soon see the return of races where you can put yourself to the test.
Get walking
If you’re not a big runner, there’s no need to worry: there are plenty of other ways to get active. Walks and hikes are a great option. Pull on a good pair of shoes, put on comfortable clothing, pack some water and nuts into your backpack and you’re ready to go. There’s sure to be an area of natural beauty close to where you live where you can take a short walk or a longer hike. Lots of people don’t consider walking to be a good form of exercise; but it is, and it will help you keep active during the pandemic. Walking is also very safe when you follow health and safety guidance. Look for wild, open spaces where you are unlikely to run into people. This will also help you to enjoy the landscape and find some inner peace and quiet. Just 30 minutes of walking a day – or over 5,000 steps – will help you improve your physical and mental health.
Exercising with your mask on
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, for many, face coverings have become a part of daily life. But what about wearing your mask when you’re exercising? The World Health Organization does not recommend wearing a mask when doing high intensity exercise. That said, if you are likely to run into a lot of people who you cannot keep a safe distance from, then it is a good idea to keep wearing your mask. To resolve any questions you may have, the Comunidad de Madrid has set out this advice regarding face masks and exercise.
Do home workouts
If you want to keep training but feel more comfortable doing so at home, why not give the exercise routine created by the ARTIEM Sports team a go? You can work out whenever you want in the comfort of your own home: the aim is to look after your body and mind, get your muscles moving, your heartbeat rising and then feel absolutely amazing when you have achieved what you set out to do. Slowly but surely. This is the philosophy of FreshPeople. Just keep adding a little bit of exercise into your daily routine one day at a time. You will soon see that the result is well worth the effort.
ARTIEM and sport
If you end up staying in an ARTIEM hotel in the near future, we’ve got some great news for you: we’ve got everything you need to keep up your exercise routine safely. Our gyms are equipped with all the necessary health and safety features so you can work out with total peace of mind. ARTIEM Asturias, ARTIEM Audax and ARTIEM Carlos also run outdoor activities so you can enjoy training in the fresh air.
Don’t let anything or anyone stop you. Exercise is essential for living a healthy lifestyle that takes care of your mental and physical wellbeing.