Are you struggling to adjust to the New Normal? These healthy habits will help to keep your fitness on track while improving your mental wellbeing…

Words: Louise Pyne

If you’ve ever trained for an event, whether a 5K, half marathon or an ultramarathon, you’ll be well versed in the importance of keeping to a strict routine in the run up to the race. But sticking to a regular daily pattern during these unprecedented times of uncertainty can also help you keep a handle on things.

Whether you’re feeling a wave of disappointment because your hopes of running your first ever marathon this summer have been quickly slashed, or you’re frustrated because you can’t hit the gym to do your usual complementary training sessions, establishing healthy habits can help you to stay calm, keep your focus and regain some sense of control during this unexpected period that we’re all facing together.

“Keeping a daily routine is important as it can provide you with a feeling of normality in an otherwise unsettling time,” says David Brudö, CEO and co-founder of mental wellbeing and self-development platform, Remente (remente. com). “This routine doesn’t need to look like the one you normally follow. For example, if you used to commute into work and are now working from home, use the time you’ve gained back to exercise, learn something new, or enjoy some more time for yourself’.’

Create a space in your home that inspires you. Make it an uplifting place to work out by posting up pictures of runners you admire

So how should you get started? The first thing you need to do is to create a space in your home that inspires you. You might want to clear a space in your living room and turn it into a readymade fitness space. You could make the space an uplifting place to work out by posting up pictures of runners who inspire you or collate a selection of positive quotes to keep you motivated to train and put these up somewhere visible. Invest in a gym mat if you don’t have one, and you could think about using a balance ball for complementary training.

Aside from that, there are plenty of bodyweight exercises (press ups, pull ups and so on) you can do, so you don’t need to shell out on expensive kit. If you’re a visual person, it might help to jot down a daily routine, or set alarms to remind you of specific daily tasks to avoid getting stuck in a state of flux. And whether you’re working from home or at the office, overleaf we’ve outlined some morning to evening tips which can be factored into your day to help keep you upbeat.