Five tips on get fit and stay healthy during the lockdown, by a Harborough personal trainer

A leading Market Harborough personal trainer is exhorting people – get fit and stay healthy during the extraordinary coronavirus crisis.

Ryan Sapstead, 26, said it is critical that you sharpen your physical fitness and look after your mental health during this testing time.

The online coach spoke as the tough Covid-19 lockdown looks set to continue across the UK into May at least.

Ryan, a qualified personal trainer for eight years, trains his clients at the Snap Fitness gym on Rockingham road industrial estate.

Speaking to the Harborough Mail, he’s now given people five key tips on how to come through the current crisis in better shape than ever.

“Your health is all that stands in the way of this pandemic.

“And while you’re confined to your own home for most of the day, you should be spending at least some of that time looking after yourself,” stressed Ryan, who lives in Market Harborough.

“After all, we can’t look after other people unless we take care of ourselves first and foremost.”

Here are Ryan's five top tips

1. Stay Positive - One thing I know many people struggle with is to remain positive under circumstances like these beyond your control. And when mental health can have a very big effect on overall health and wellbeing, this time can be a worrying time for many. Try your best to flip any negativity around by thinking about things that are in your control, what can you change? You can try your best to stay in contact with friends, family and loved ones via phone call, text, email or even use video calling apps such as FaceTime, Zoom, Skype and so on. Remaining in contact with those you’re fond of could give you a real mental boost and keep you in high spirits. If it’s one thing you need to remember, it’s that we’re all in the same boat and even if speaking to a loved one doesn’t boost your mood, what’s to say it hasn’t boosted theirs or even made their day?

2. Make the most of your one form of exercise a day - Get yourself out of your house for at least half an hour each day and get some fresh air. Regardless of whether you walk, run or cycle, a change of scenery can make all the difference in enhancing your mood and if you’re burning a few calories in the process it’s a win/win. That’s not to say you can’t also complete a home-based workout if you’re a fitness fanatic like myself.

3. Look after your diet - Your nutrition will play a key role in boosting your immune system and keep your body functioning properly. Not only that, but if you’re feeding yourself nothing but unhealthy/comfort type foods you could start to feel heavy and sluggish. The more sensible you are with your nutrition, the better you’ll feel, the more efficiently your bodies will function and you may even lose some of that stubborn bodyfat at the same time.

4. Use your time productively - Whether you have a new-found love for fitness and home workouts or you’re aiming to work on a side project or hustle you don’t usually have time for, there’s been no better time to be productive with something you’re passionate about. Obviously for those of us that still work from home this could be hard. But even if you’re still working a nine-hour day from home you still may have saved yourself 60 minutes a day in travel time. That’s a whole hour to learn something new, work on something else or for those who “have no time to work out” and I know there’s many of you, now’s your chance.

5. Create a new routine - This could be relatively easy for those still able to work from home and things may not change very much. However, it’s vital you don’t fall into the trap (and I know many of us already have) of not knowing what day it is. Every day can very much seem the same but it’s critical you give your life as much structure as you can, not only to be productive. But the more consistent you are with your diet (mostly eating regular meals at similar times every day) and with your workouts (maybe a small resistance training routine in the morning and your daily outdoor exercise in the evening) the more likely you are to maintain or even make progress with your health and fitness.

“Stay at home, stay safe and well and always remember that your glass is half-full rather than half-empty,” declared Ryan.

If you would like to find out more about Ryan you can visit his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/ryansapsteadpt/