There are the ‘freaks’ of fitness who just don’t know how to stay and those who – thanks to smartworking and the red areas with almost the cancellation of activities outside the home – take the opportunity to stretch their legs and take a break from the chair. In both cases, moving is a good idea that helps us not gain weight and keep us in good health, both physically and mentally. A real “therapy”. This explains the success and the boom of online fitness proposals where you can find everything: from free to paid applications, sometimes with free trial periods that allow you to test them out before purchasing a monthly or yearly package. How to choose the most reliable course? How to avoid mistakes that could harm us rather than do us good? We asked Fabio Pigozzi, full professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Rome – Foro Italico and president of the International Federation of Sports Medicine (Fims).
Longform
Lockdown: to feel good you need to exercise for 150 minutes a week
by Fabio Di Todaro
Already during the first phase of the pandemic, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, based on the indications provided by the WHO, had provided useful advice on how to choose physical activity to practice at home based on age groups. For children and teenagers aged 5 to 17, at least 60 minutes of moderate to intense activity, including musculoskeletal strengthening exercises, is required at least 3 times a week. Those between 18 and 64 years old need at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week or 75 minutes of intense aerobic activity in sessions of at least 10 consecutive minutes, and exercises to strengthen the major muscle groups with a frequency of 2 or more times a week. Same scheme for those over 65 with the addition of activities to improve balance and prevent falls.
Better online than the sofa
If this is the ‘prescription’ of physical activity to be carried out based on age, it is however important to know how to make the right choice among the many online offers because while in the gym you can count on the support of qualified personnel thus avoiding getting hurt. , online we are alone and therefore you must also take into account your physical form and any previous physical problems. Lot of personal trainers have decided to network their workouts (on YouTube, for example) and they offer private lessons via Skype or on other channels normally used for remote communications (for example, Zoom). And then there are many courses and apps that offer a great variety of workouts but not all of them provide detailed and understandable explanations that allow you to perform the exercises with precision.
“The shared need to reduce the risk of contagion – explains Pigozzi – has led to an increase in the risk of physical inactivity which, as has been reiterated several times by the WHO, represents an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, but also for tumors and mental illnesses. For this reason, more than the risk of choosing the wrong online training, we are more concerned about sedentary lifestyle also for a matter of mental health which in this period is seriously tested “.
Covid has closed the gyms, let’s bring the kids back to playing sports
by Valeria Pini
In short, it is better to move (even if within the walls of the house) rather than remain still. How then to choose the most reliable course that best suits your needs? The first rule is that of understand who is offering us the training, as the network gives us the ability to track down information. Find out if it is a certified personal trainer, courses offered by specialized fitness centers (such as, for example, Virgin Active) or even better if the workouts are carried out under the aegis of a sports federation. “You have to be wary of courses that promise to achieve amazing results in a short time or ‘exotic’ workouts that can be risky. Even better if there is the ‘stamp’ of a national sports federation ”, explains Pigozzi.
Smart working and dad: the damage of a sedentary lifestyle
by Irma D’Aria
Having made the choice of the subject who offers us the fitness course, common sense is needed when we train because we do not have a real instructor in front of us who can correct our mistakes and the environment in which we train is not there. ideal, for example because the floors could be slippery. “It is necessary to choose activities that suit our attitudes and our physical abilities by favoring exercises that improve joint mobility and strengthen muscles”, Suggests Pigozzi. “Better to train with free body gymnastics, abdominals, yoga and Pilates courses with which the risk of getting hurt is reduced”. Simple exercises like squats, stair steps, push-ups or stretching are also fine, but don’t overdo it. “We must apply the principle of caution and do not overdo it with functional overloads that could cause orthopedic problems. No even to exercises that are not within our reach: if we haven’t jumped rope since school, we’d better not start over right now: let’s remember that we’re not Rambo ”.
Covid and sport: a low risk of contagion from equipment
by Fiammetta Cupellaro
Being able to choose the time and days in which to carry out physical activity according to your availability of time, what is the ideal dose of sports at home? “The minimum is to train at least 3 times a week for at least 40 minutes, but the ideal would be 5 times a week for 40 minutes trying to walk every day for another 40 minutes in order to also carry out an aerobic activity that prevents cardiovascular disease “, replies Pigozzi who adds:” Even if we do not have to carry sports medical certificate, better to be checked by the sports doctor or family to train in peace even at home “.
Covid: let’s dance against pandemic stress
by Valeria Pini
Among the many offers of online training courses and tutorials there are also some ‘certified’ by social promotion bodies. Such as those proposed by Unione Italiana Sport per Tutti (Uisp) which launched ‘The gym is our home’ by publishing on their website video tutorials made by teachers and educators of amateur sports associations and affiliated sports clubs divided by areas of activity and disciplines to facilitate consultation and use by people of all ages. Thus there are videos dedicated to the elderly, others that show how to train with home tools, but also exercises suitable for children and pregnant women. Many proposals also carry the ‘stamp’ of the Italian Culture Sport Association (Aisc): “People want to move and train even more than before, perhaps as a reaction to the restrictions that force us to stay at home – he says. Niki Mardegan, Aics Fitness Area Manager – for this reason we offer a list of online sports activities that the associations affiliated with Aics offer in the area in order to have ‘validated’ proposals that can represent a sort of reference for those who want to orient themselves among the numerous workouts found on the web “.
How much does the fitness equipment cost
Those who have not surrendered to the sofa or to solitary workouts in parks and gardens, have organized private mini-fitness rooms in the cellar or in the living room, thus helping to raise the prices of equipment. According to data released by Uecoop, the expenditure for a small home fitness station reached 457 euros with increases of + 57.5% for dumbbells with weights, + 30% for the bench press and +58.5 % for the exercise bike. And while the shelves are emptying and the words “out of stock” or “not available” appear online, we must also beware of scams. It is always Uecoop to warn against offers on the Internet that must make us suspicious of exceptional discounts or goods that are too cheap but which, upon receipt of payment, extend the shipment by several weeks and then deliver various kinds of junk including tarot sunglasses to the place of weights and dumbbells.
.