Young People And Exercise Since Covid-19

Since the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, general levels of physical activity have decreased and sedentary time has increased.

However, lots of people are realising how important exercise is regarding their health status and how it can improve their body’s function and reduce their chances of becoming ill.

Young people are known for spending quite a lot of time on social media but by using these online platforms, it has encouraged many to exercise and keep fit.

Many personal trainers and fitness enthusiasts have free content on pages such as Instagram which inspires more people to be active.

This has led to an increase in equipment sales and lots of fitness tools being hard to get hold of due to the high demand.

Also, the use of fitness apps has increased which allows classes to take place online with clients sharing their personal goals and encouraging each other, creating an online community.

Many online programmes offer free trials and are more reasonably priced than regular gym class prices. Some of the most popular online classes are Yoga, HIIT, Boxing and Barre and some popular Instagram accounts that offer free workouts, online classes, specific fitness programmes and various other types of fitness related content are @shona_vertue, @catmeffan and @zannavandijk.

The increase in online fitness involvement could be due to many factors.

Being in the comfort of your own home means there’s nobody watching so people are not as embarrassed doing certain exercises, there’s no need for commuting and it’s easier to fit a workout in around your personal schedule.

Many young people have struggled to find enjoyment when exercising in different ways, especially those that are involved with team sports.

But the many benefits from exercising are evident when 68% of 16-19-year-olds say that exercising has improved their mental health.

Many young people of those ages have worries due to schoolwork and exams as well as the added stress of the pandemic.

Therefore exercising will help relieve the stress and hopefully improve their productivity.