Why it is never too late to find your fitness mojo
If the thought of restarting your exercise routine seems overwhelming, you’re not alone. But there are easy ways to get active again, says Kerry Potter
‘Running marathons was a huge part of my identity before the pandemic,” says Vic Paterson, 47, a hypnotherapist from Lincolnshire. “In 2020 I was due to run my fifth Berlin Marathon, as part of a 10-year plan to run 10 marathons in the city by the time I was 50. But when Covid hit and it was cancelled, my motivation was destroyed. I’m very goal-oriented – just saying I want to get fitter isn’t enough, I need targets to tick off.” As lockdown started to bite, Vic’s training regime crumbled: “I’d run halfway down the street and think, ‘What’s the point?’ My energy would go, my shoulders would drop and I’d tell myself I would try again next week. I felt totally adrift. I ended up putting on three stone – I’d look in the mirror and see this sad, overweight, hunched-over lady. Everything came to a standstill, including me.”
The pandemic was catastrophic for the nation’s fitness. Lockdowns wrecked our exercise routines and we have yet to re-establish them. “While many were out on bikes or jogging, that didn’t offset the large decreases across gyms and leisure centres, swimming pools and team sports, all of which shut down,” says Matt Rogan, sports industry expert and author of All to Play For: How Sport Can Reboot Our Future. “And it’s some of the most challenged groups who have been hardest hit – disabled people, kids who had no PE for months, those in deprived areas with the highest levels of anxiety and financial stresses. The pandemic exacerbated inequalities in physical activity and we need to fix this.”
“Anyone who had a fragile or volatile relationship with exercise has found it harder to maintain a routine,” agrees Kate Dale, who leads Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign. “This is certainly the case for women who have been juggling lots of responsibilities. And when pools shut down, the loss of swimming for older people and people with mobility issues was huge.
“Many people didn’t leave the house for over a year, lost the social connection that being active can bring and the thought of returning is overwhelming.”
Steve Gregory, founder of Fitlife gym in Buckinghamshire, saw his membership plummet by more than 50 per cent during the pandemic. Today, customer numbers remain far below pre-pandemic levels, with the age mix markedly less diverse. “All the keen, fit, 20- and 30-somethings couldn’t wait for the doors to reopen, but it’s only been very recently that some of our older members have returned,” says Steve. “One lady in her 70s came in for the first time in 18 months and broke down in tears at reception. She said: ‘This is the third time I’ve tried to come but I couldn’t walk through the door.’ She’d spent a lot of time on her own and was really struggling with her confidence. She had a little cry then we set her up on a bike and off she went. The difference in her mood when she walked out was amazing. She’s back in the gym three times a week now.”
There were one million more inactive adults in May 2021 than in May 2020, according to Sport England data. (Inactive is defined as doing less than the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.) A recent survey by EE and children’s smartwatch brand Xplora shows 59 per cent of parents feel their children are now less active. Sport England warns that swimming has seen an especially worrying drop in ability among primary school children, with nearly 70 per cent from the least affluent families unable to swim 25m unaided.
Parkrun, which provides free Saturday morning 5k community runs across the country, reports a drop-off in female runners, with women now making up 42 per cent of finishers, compared with 44.8 per cent before Covid hit. The organisation prides itself on runners’ average 5k time becoming slower over the years – this, they say, shows the meetups are attracting a diverse mix of attendees, rather than just hardcore runners. Pre-lockdown, that average time was 30 minutes 18 seconds, now it’s sped up to 29 minutes 46 seconds.
Londoner Afsaneh Parvizi-Wayne, 56, founder of natural period-care brand Freda, was a keen Parkrunner who relished “getting fit in a very social way” with her friends, but hasn’t attended since before the pandemic. “I lost that part of my life during lockdowns and now I get up later on a Saturday and walk my dogs instead,” she says. “I have found it difficult to get back into it. When you’re a midlife woman, with lots going on, it takes a lot of self-discipline to make exercise a regular part of your life.”
Claire Gleave, a 42-year-old Cotswolds-based mother of three young children, tells a similar tale. Running her maternity activewear brand Natal Active during lockdown while homeschooling “finished me off in terms of making time for fitness”. Despite being a lifelong sporty type – she’s even run an ultramarathon – she’s still struggling to workout. “If I can fall out of the habit, anyone can,” she says. “What I massively notice is the impact on my mood – I am more irritable and lack enthusiasm. And my eating is worse. It’s like, in for a penny, in for a pound, I may as well hit the biscuit tin.”
On first glance, it may seem puzzling that more people weren’t spurred on by the pandemic to become more active and fitter. As the horror progressed, it became increasingly clear that there was a link between obesity-related conditions (diabetes, heart disease) and an increased risk of severe Covid symptoms. One NHS study found that obese people who caught Covid were twice as likely to die than those of a normal weight. But things aren’t that simple. “We do need to address healthier lifestyles and tackle obesity, but that isn’t a massive driver for people to get and stay active,” says Dale.
“It can actually make people feel worse about themselves. The key is to focus on the immediate emotional benefits of activity – how it makes you feel. Campaigns need to show people of all backgrounds, ages, shapes and size having a good time getting active.”
Dale is optimistic that things will get better. “There’s never been more conversations around the role of activity in people’s lives. The pandemic meant people made that link between physical and mental health and how activity supports both. That’s really positive and there’s a bigger appetite than ever to bring about meaningful change.”
Meanwhile, 75,750 Parkrun newbies have completed their first run this year, points out Chrissie Wellington, Parkrun’s global head of health and wellbeing. “We are committed to understanding and minimising as many barriers to participation as possible so that Parkrun can continue to be a safe, inclusive space for everyone to get
active, no matter their age, ability or background,” she says. Parents can do their part by both modelling active behaviour to their children, as well as showing them the full range of options available – there really is something for everyone. If they’re not into rugby how about skateboarding? It’s an equally valid option.
And this is about more than the personal benefits we reap from being active, says Rogan.
“Getting people moving saves money for our health system. Every £1 spent on community sport and physical activity generates nearly £4 for the economy and society, including large savings for health and social care through the prevention of serious physical and mentalhealth conditions. It can help level up our communities.” Forget clapping for the NHS, you can do it a bigger favour by taking up yoga, walking, football or paddleboarding.
Thwarted marathon runner Paterson, meanwhile, has finally “started to get my mojo back”. She’s losing weight, enlisted the help of a PT and started having fun “just moving – I did a video tutorial on how to breakdance. And I ran my first 10k since before the pandemic last week. I can’t believe how much fitness and strength I’ve lost, but it made me remember how much I loved it. I got home and cried – I had such a sense of release and relief. And I’ve decided I’m doing the Berlin Marathon later this year.” It’s never too late to find your way back to fitness.
‘It takes a lot of selfdiscipline to make exercise a regular part of your life’