During Covid lockdown, don't give up on your health – Scotsman comment

Those were the findings of a study, published by the British Journal of Health Psychology, in which more than 1,000 people were surveyed on a daily basis for three months. People who were among those most at risk of Covid were among the least active.

Most people, even those who have managed to improve their health and fitness during lockdown, can probably understand why someone would retreat into their home and/or seek comfort in drink and ‘heartwarming’ foods that are high in calories.

But, and this almost goes without saying, it is important to resist such temptations. We must not let ourselves become casualties of the side-effects of the Covid pandemic.

Exercise, which can be something as simple as a regular brisk walk, is so beneficial to health that it has been described as a “wonder drug”, while increasingly scientists have been sounding warnings about the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.

Being active improves both physical and mental health, with the latter effect providing a far better alternative source of solace than beer and fry-ups.

Lockdown is miserable, but we must not let it get us down to the extent that we give up on our own health.

The vaccines are coming and a return to something like normality should not be too far away. Time to get in shape so that we are all able to enjoy it.

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