"Lockdown was the trigger"

The Guardian with a surprisingly positive review of how folks are keeping up with their physical and mental health while under lockdown:

"Ludford spoke to a GP about his anxiety, who recommended exercise and referred him for counselling. So, he started walking: '2km became 5km became 10km,' he says. And he exercised to videos he found on YouTube. At first, he could not manage a single burpee, but after a few months, he was flinging himself on and off the floor with ease. 'The exercise was the only thing that really helped me to get a handle on my anxiety,' he says. 'Exercise kept the wheels on the bus.' Seven months on, Ludford has lost 34kg (5st 5lb) and is no longer severely obese. But the weight loss is secondary to his mental wellbeing – he feels like himself again. 'Everything came together at the same time,' he says. 'Lockdown was the trigger.'

While lockdown was a period of indulgence for many of us – who can blame anyone for looking at a world in freefall, with political leaders squabbling like children, and reaching for the biscuit tin? – the enforced stillness of 2020 gave some people the time and headspace to embrace a more active lifestyle. Freed from the shackles of the commute and the lure of late-night pub sessions, an overhaul was in reach. Fiona Gillison, a chartered psychologist and behaviour-change expert at the University of Bath, says: 'The pandemic reduced the barriers that many people have to leading healthier lifestyles – by giving them more time at home or dedicated time to exercise.'”

Of course, the interviews are with folks on decent furlough (80% salary is my understanding) and retired folks with pensions.  It's hard to imagine a full-time nurse or part-time clerk enjoying this sort of "indulgence" right now.

Still, if there's any silver-lining to COVID it's that we really should change our relationships to work, health, and family if we ever manage to beat this thing.