Throughout the covid pandemic, we wanted our followers to have plenty of inspiration to help them stay active. Being physically active has been a lifeline for many of us throughout 2020 and 2021 and we were keen to pull together all of our best ideas to help people keep moving in a world where everything was shutting down.

It's fair to say a lot has happened since then and I think few of us would have imagined at that stage that we'd be where we are right now. As we head through Autumn and into our third Winter since the pandemic began, concerns remain, and in fact are rising, over the economy, health inequalities and the impact of the pandemic on mental health.

Whilst times remain tough, we are all trying to dig deep and remind ourselves of all the things we have to be grateful for; but sometimes we need more than positive thinking to lift our mood. Physical activity is proven to be one of the most effective ways to trigger those positivity hormones and boost how we feel; so we figured this was the ideal time for a refresh to our list of opportunities of some of the great things we can do to keep moving in these strange times.

Getting outdoors

Social distancing may no longer be a requirement when you're out and about, but plenty of us still remain cautious, not only of Covid-19 but of the risk of flu and other winter bugs expected to be prevalent this year. Getting outdoors therefore is more popular than ever, and the chillier weather need not stand in the way of us appreciating our surroundings. With an extra layer and some trusty gloves, Autumn is a great time to explore the outdoors, with beautiful sights, like this one at the Three Sisters Recreation Ground in Ashton-in-Makerfield, to be found all over the UK.

Find a green space: According to The Green Space Index there are 216,000 hectares of green space in the UK as well as over 140,000 miles of public rights of way; so even if you prefer to avoid more well-known beauty spots, there are plenty of alternative, slightly less mainstream green spaces to be found. There may even be something right in your own backyard that you hadn’t even realised was there. The Ordnance Survey have this handy site which is a great place to find out.

Find a walking route: There are so many great walking routes all over the UK, in both rural and urban locations. There are also plenty of quieter locations to be found which won't necessarily draw big crowds. Walking Britain has a really useful route finder with walks all over the UK, but a quick online search for 'walks near me' will throw up countless great options too.
Slow Ways: If you're interested in using walking for transport in your local area, you should also sign up to follow Slow Ways. During lockdown a team of 700 volunteers have been busy mapping the best off road routes between towns, cities and villages across the country. They are currently working on a website to host these for use by anyone, which they plan to launch later this year [EDIT: this will now happen in 2021]
Check out the OS Explore map for where you live: If you’re staying strictly local, it doesn’t have to mean the same walk or cycle around the block every day. Urban areas of the UK have bags of hidden paths, commons, woodlands, and parks. If you don’t have a paper map, you can view a map of the UK online and find out what’s near you.
Take a walking lunch: We're all noticing the days getting shorter and, with the clocks about to go back, you may be thinking that there won't be time to get outdoors before it's dark by the end of a work day. A worrying 41% of us say we aren't taking a proper lunch break and this can have a negative impact on our mental health. So when the weather looks decent, make a point of blocking some time in the diary to take a break and get outside. You may even find if you chat to your employer that they want to encourage this behaviour for the whole team. Most employers are concerned about employee wellbeing and are sometimes just lacking ideas on how best to support it.

Go for a run: what could be simpler than popping on a pair of trainers? No other equipment or experience necessary. And in case you're worried that you don't have the credentials for running, here's a retro reminder of what it's really all about. We included this film last time, but it's still one of our favs!

Couch to 5k: If you're completely new to running but keen to give it a go, the Couch to 5k app is a fantastic way to build up gently at a pace that suits you.
If you're worried about what you might look like, we refer you to the video above. Remember: If you're having fun, you're doing it right!
Get on yer bike!: Even if you haven’t done it for years, it’s not just like riding a bike, it literally is riding a bike! If you’re bike needs a bit of tlc and you missed out on the government’s Fix Your Bike voucher scheme, you may be able to get your bike fixed up at one of Cycling UK’s Free Pop Up Repair Services. If you don’t own a bike, there may be a public bike share scheme nearby where you can borrow one. [EDIT: There are also lots of free route finding apps, like Cyclers, which will help you find accessible, off road routes near you so you can avoid competing with traffic.]

Try Geocaching: If you prefer to have an endgame to go with your outdoor exploration then geocaching could be a great activity for you. The main things you need are a GPS enabled device (so any smart phone will do the trick), a comfy pair of shoes and, to ensure you’re bang on trend, a pocket hand sanitiser. The 'cache' is a hidden box which you use the GPS location to find and you mark off all the caches that you have found. It's basically like a modern day treasure hunt.

Getting moving in your own backyard:

Garden games: Badminton, volleyball, frisbee, football, skittles, hoopla; most of us have the gear for at least one of these stashed in our garage, shed or cupboard under the stairs, but if not, don't worry; improvising is half the fun. If you aren't lucky enough to have a garden, you can take your gear down to the local park.
Keep those fingers green: We can fall into the trap of thinking that gardening is a spring and summer activity, but there's still plenty to do in the Autumn and Winter. This is the time of conker battles, falling leaves and festive berries. You can fuel your creative side by collecting colourful leaves, sycamores, acorns, fallen branches and pine cones. You can even get creative with your own Christmas decorations. Plus Autumn is also a really important time for planting, especially if we want to see our gardens blooming in early spring. [EDIT: some winter ideas here too]

Around the House

Create an obstacle course: Use whatever household items you can find - chairs, beanbags, cushions, plastic bottles, trampolines, books, shoes, hats, puzzles; it doesn't necessarily have to rival this effort by freestyle skiing master Andri Ragettli, as long as you have fun building it and using it. Obviously 'Safety First' applies here, so do consider the age and abilities of the kids (or grown-ups!) you are building for.

WiiFit / Xbox Kinect: Remember those? Thousands of us still have one of these stashed in a cupboard and this might just be time to dust it off and fire it up. Remember how much fun you used to have at the Mario Olympics?
Online workouts: There is SO MUCH new content which has been created over the last 6 months - especially on YouTube and Facebook Live. Your biggest problem might be deciding what to try first. Lots of providers, like Les Mills, have been expanding their online subscription services too, but if you'd rather keep your cash in your pocket, here's a reminder of a few of our favourites that you can access for free.

The Active Wellbeing Society: Since the start of lockdown TAWS have been running a full weekly programme of live streamed classes, all with super friendly local instructors. There is everything from kids Zumba and Pilates to chair workouts and family Bollywood and their entire back catalogue is available to view any time on their Facebook Page.

Yoga with Adriene: Possibly the most well known yoga instructor around the world, Adriene offers hundreds of yoga workouts through her free YouTube channel, with sessions of different length and style. If Yoga is your thing, or even if you aren't sure but willing to give it a whirl, there is something for people of every ability.
Move It or Lose It: A great option if you're looking to get you moving in a way that's fun but not quite so intense. The instructors are friendly and relatable and will guide you through all the moves. Again their whole back catalogue is available on their Facebook Page.
The Body Coach: Joe Wicks (MBE) became know as the nations PE teacher during lockdown, but as well as workouts for kids, he also has his own fitness channel. There are over 250 workouts available on demand from 5 to 30 minutes and with a variety of intensities.

Where to find even more ideas

If you're still in need of some extra inspiration there are various campaigns ongoing to provide even more tips and ideas to keep moving.

RED January (encouraging activity every day to support mental health & wellbeing)
Join the Movement (for anyone and everyone)
Better Health (if you're looking to get a little bit healthier)
We are Undefeatable (if you're managing a long-term health condition)
MIND Active Eles (if you want to use movement to support improved mental health)*
#TimeTogether (for mums and daughters, aunties, grandmas or any other female role models)
#Runsome (encouraging us to look at the journeys we make to see if we can #runsome)

If you don’t live in England you can check out your local country sports council’s website for advice. Follow these links if you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

And in the spirit of kindness, if you are out and about, don’t forget to wave, smile or say 'Hi!' to as many people as possible. A bit of positivity goes a long way.

In the same vein, now is not the time to give ourselves a hard time for every little slip. Some days you just won't feel like it and that is ok; no need to beat yourself up because there is always tomorrow.

And finally, if you have more great ideas for the nation to stay active this autumn and winter, drop us a line on info@properactive.co.uk. We would love to hear them.

*If your mental health is taking a bit of a bashing at the moment, MIND have loads of great resources available to support you, including Side by Side their online community.