Are Our Lockdown Fitness Routines Downright Dangerous?
The lockdown is changing the way that people behave at a fundamental level. Without the daily commute to work and, frankly, less work to do, many are looking for new ways to spend their time. Exercise seems to be a top priority right now, with everyone desperate to get out in the open air and out of their homes.
When you go out, you notice just how many people are taking advantage of their “right to daily exercise.” There are runners and cyclists everywhere. And it is making social distancing more difficult. City planners didn’t build pavements with the two-meter separation rule in place. And it is something that makes you worry every time you leave the house.
But that’s not the only reason why our collective lockdown fitness kick is dangerous. Other things could go wrong too.
The first issue has to do with the fact that exercise is inherently more dangerous than sitting on the couch, watching TV. Whenever you leave the house, be it for a jog, a walk or a cycle, you put yourself at risk of injury. A wayward car could come out of nowhere and knock you into a ditch. Or you could find yourself running over wet ground and slip and fall, injuring your back or legs in the process.
That eventuality is bad enough on its own. But in the context of a pandemic, it is even worse. Getting medical treatment might be more difficult, given the current stretch on public services. Plus, you run the risk of picking up COVID-19 if you find yourself in an accident and emergency department, along with everyone else.
People who take exercise face other dangers too. Not everyone is diligent in keeping their property safe for runners. Owners and landlords can be negligent, as personal injury claim law firm professionals like to point out. So the chances of a slip or fall are still high.
Then there’s the fact that many of us are finding that we have time to exercise for the first time in our adult lives. All of a sudden, we’re on furlough or working from home, and there are opportunities in the evening just to get out there and run.
But because many of us aren’t used to this type of activity, there’s a genuine risk of injury. It takes time for the body to strengthen itself and build new tissue that can cope with the rigours of exercise. If you haven’t used your muscles and tendons for a while, it is probably a bad idea to immediately go out for sprints.
You need to temper your lockdown workouts to align with your current physical capacities. You don’t want to jump on an extreme exercise routine, only to find yourself out of action for weeks because you took things too far, too fast.
Lockdown fitness routines don’t have to be dangerous, but it is critical to take things slowly. We could all be in quarantine for a long time, so there is plenty of time yet!
