The Gift of Time
- LifestyleDevelopmentScience
- Aug 5, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 19, 2021
There is no doubting that lockdown has affected all of us. We have all had to adapt to newly imposed restrictions and this has seemingly leeched into all areas of our lives; at work, at home, out socialising, our approach to shopping, what we do for entertainment, our health, education and travel. Although we have undoubtedly been thrust into this unprecedented situation together, we acknowledge the impact on families and individuals is not easily comparable, and we don't wish to boil things down and draw overly simplistic conclusions. That being said, there was one factor which did appear to infiltrate so many of our lives ... time.
Time not allocated to the usual rigid, unchangeable, functions which typically dictate how we spend our days; work, the school run, the gym. Many of us were unable to work, introduced instead to the novel concept of 'furlough' and those who adapted to working from home could now organise their days differently, getting back the wasted time generally spent on the daily commute. Life as we knew it had been suspended and had for the foreseeable future been replaced with time. The catch was of course, we were limited in what we were able to do with it!
So what did we do? Well if we consider the following examples the suggestion is that many of us took to exercise:
According to Cycling Weekly (1), 1.3 million bicycles were purchased during lockdown . With the majority of sales coming from outlets such as Halfords and Evans, it implies these were not ultra hi-tech, specialist purchases by already seasoned and enthusiastic cyclists. More likely newcomers or those who had been considering buying a bike for some time but now had the opportunity to really commit.
Our affectionately nicknamed 'Boris Bikes' (more correctly known as Santander Cycles), soared in popularity during the months of May and June with 2 million bikes hired according to ITV (2). Membership to the bike hire scheme has increased by 200% since March, equating to a staggering 85,000 new members. A normal working day typically sees up to 50,000 bikes being hired, however during our period of restriction that number has been topped 13 times! As an example, between May 25th and 31st 363,000 bikes where hired. In response to the increased demand, an additional 1,700 bikes are being added to the fleet taking the total number up to 14,000.
John Lewis, as reported on Drapersonline (3), saw a 72% increase in sales of sports shoes, this coincided with a general surge in home training equipment, undoubtedly influenced heavily by the closure of our gyms and leisure facilities. John Lewis also noted a 315% increase in the sale of yoga and pilates equipment and sales of gym equipment rose by a staggering 496%, ankle weights being the most popular purchase.
From March to June 2019 there were around 448,000 downloads of a podcast named Couch to 5k. The service is backed by the NHS and Public Health England to target non-runners with the aim of helping them to achieve a 5k or 30 minutes of running over 9 weeks. The podcast was created by Josh Clark in 1996 and is now one of the most popular running apps in the world (4). According to NHS England (5), from March to June 2020 there was a 92% increase in downloads amounting to a potential 858,000 new joggers or runners.
So are we just passing time till we can get 'back to normal' ?
Sure the motivating factor in much of this may have been the disruption COVID-19 has imposed on our lives, but it's important to remember that these are potentially for many, the first, essential steps to a healthier lifestyle, a reduction in excess bodyweight, and even a decrease in the likelihood of additional risks to their overall wellbeing. So while the sudden influx of people into our parks and open spaces may seem like an intrusion to the regular local run club or slick, lycra-clad peloton we should all be embracing and encouraging the uptake. Let's for a moment, consider the general health of the nation; when you do a little research, some of the statistics are simply alarming...
It has been well documented that those suffering from type 2 diabetes and/or obesity have a much higher chance of being adversely affected by Covid-19. In fact it's a staggering 40% increased risk, but this should not be the only reason for concern.
There are currently 3.9 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK, of these 90% have the type 2 form of the disease. In addition, there are thought to be approximately another 1 million sufferers currently living, undiagnosed. Diabetes UK (6) states that 50% of all those with type 2 diabetes will die prematurely.
One of the biggest risk factors of type 2 diabetes is obesity, although obesity would also be a risk factor for many other health conditions, including but not limited to Covid-19 (7). The World Health Organization classify obesity as an abnormal fat accumulation that presents a risk to health (8), and MedicinePlus (9) offer the following parameters as a guide:
Adults are considered - healthy when with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9
- overweight when their BMI reaches or exceeds 25
- obese when their BMI reaches or exceeds 30
- extremely obese when their BMI reaches or exceeds 40
- morbidly obese when they are 45kg overweight
Of course obesity can not diagnosed by BMI alone as those with a high level of muscle mass could be incorrectly labelled by this measurement. Waist size is therefore an additional consideration used by the NHS. They advise (10), that a waist 94 cm (37 inches) or greater in men and 80cm (31 inches) or more in women is an indicator of the likelihood of developing obesity related problems.
In the UK, 41% of men are considered overweight and 26% either obese or morbidly obese. For women, 30% are overweight and 29% obese or morbidly obese. That's a huge proportion of our society who could be at risk if they do not take action through their food choices, daily activities and exercise.
Leaving the house for exercise has been one of the only freedoms we've had permission for this summer, and one of the few things we have been actively encouraged to get out and do.
For many this has been a lifeline, essential not just for a change of environment but a chance to release some energy and be with other people. It makes no difference whether you recognise those around you on your route, just knowing we're in it together, experiencing the frustration of being restrained has been enough. It does not matter if you are not wearing the latest stream-lined apparel, or donning the latest fitness tracker, it only matters you're doing something; people out there, exercising on their own or with friends and family. Not only getting fitter, but enjoying the social element too. It's not even really essential to know exactly what you're doing, just going for a walk and enjoying your local amenities is a start. This is something which just can't be achieved in front of the TV or through our phones and tablets.
Our hope is that this new influx of individuals, young and old, will continue to make time for themselves, their health, their families and their own happiness once our world returns to normal.
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