Expert reveals why we should actually avoid doing too much exercise during lockdown

With the UK deep into lockdown life, we’re all having to adapt to brand new ways of living.

For the gym bunnies out there who are used to leading a seriously active lifestyle, getting out and about to get the heart pumping and some calories burned is vital.

Even if you weren’t totally fitness focussed prior to the coronavirus pandemic, being stuck indoors all day may have made heading to the park for a jog in the morning or joining in on an online HIIT session every day, extremely appealing.

But according to experts, you actually need to be careful in making sure you’re not doing too much exercise.

Overdoing it on the fitness front could be putting us at risk of nasty injuries and could even compromise our immune system.

Dr Matthew Jackson, a lecturer in Sport and Health Science at Liverpool Hope University has explained that while keeping active during this strange time is key, overloading your schedule with exercise could be problematic for your health.

He explains: “We don’t want to tell people not to exercise during this crisis - it’s really important that you do.

“But if you’re finding yourself doing more of it because you’ve got more time on your hands, you just need to be mindful about not doing too much.

“For the majority of people, doing regular exercise is actually a really good way to improve immune function, providing a defence against viruses.

“But you do need to be careful that you don’t go into that overtraining category where you might compromise your immunity.”

The fitness specialist has recommended that we steer clear of putting our body through its paces daily and to wait at least 48 hours between each tough work out session.

“Lower intensity moderate exercise is usually okay. But if you’re doing something more vigorous, you’re more exposed to injury.

“You might think, ‘Right, I’ve got an hour each day, I need to make the most of it with a hard workout’. But there’s a danger of overtraining.

“If you’re just starting out running, for example, stick to three times a week, with sessions of 30-45 minutes at first, and go from there.

“Low-level activity like walking can be done more frequently, five or six days a week - but again be sure to factor in at least one full rest day.”