Lockdown Fitness

With the weather looking set to be quite glum for a while, we thought it’d be useful to see what type of virtual fitness we can all get involved with this month. We’ve looked at how to utilise your games console, join in with free yoga sessions and what’s being offered locally…

West Wight Sports Centre

Web: www.westwight.org.uk

Each week, West Wight Sports Centre are posting their fitness class schedule for the week ahead and they are so popular that they’ve recently added some evening classes of Circuits and Total Abs too. Their online fitness classes allow you to maintain regular physical activity and can also benefit your mental health and social connections at this difficult time.

You can register and pay £5-7 towards classes as and when you like or it is included in their Diamond Plus and Diamond Class memberships anyway!

The sports centre is also inviting you to suggest classes that you would like to see feature in coming weeks and you can send your suggestions to gym@westwight.org.uk.


30 Days of Yoga with Adriene

Web: www.youtube.com/c/yogawithadriene/featured

Youtube is full of free resources for enjoying fitness routines at home and one very popular contributor is Adriene, who produces Yoga With Adriene.

‘Our mission is to connect as many people as possible through high-quality free yoga videos. We welcome all levels, all bodies, all genders, all souls!’

Adriene, Yoga With Adriene

From gentle beginner classes, to Weight Loss and Total Body Yoga, there really is something for everyone. Adriene has recently also added a 30 days yoga programme which like the other videos are completely free to follow and perfect timing for those of you looking for some daily structure to your exercise in the rest of this lockdown period.


Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure

Web: www.store.nintendo.co.uk/games/nintendo-switch/ring-fit-adventure.list

Just before Christmas, the Nintendo Switch added the Ring Fit to their vast range of accessories. This has been very popular, especially with people not being able to get out to the gym as they usually might.

The price tag for this is around £69.99, but for that you get the games and the ring device that enables you to take part. The only problem is that this has been so popular the stock can be up and down daily, so it’s best to shop around online if you’re looking to purchase the set.

Ring Fit offers everything from gentle exercise to high-impact routines with fast dance music that’ll really get your heart pumping. Something especially useful with this device is that you can target certain muscle groups and develop your own bespoke routine. We have been warned though that the grips can be a bit slippery after a good work-out, so be careful it doesn’t ping off into your television set!


The IW Virtual Challenge

Web: www.isleaccess.co.uk

Isle Access is working alongside Visit Isle of Wight to promote the Island as a beautiful destination to explore, whether you are a resident on the Isle of Wight or a regular visitor who is missing their annual trip – everyone can take part in the Isle of Wight Virtual Challenge! The good news is that this challenge has recently been extended due to lockdown and families can join for the subsidised cost of £30, so there is still plenty of time to get moving.

Whatever your favourite exercise is, you can sign-up and record your activities on their dedicated site – they say you can even join in by recording your steps whilst doing the housework! This in turn will be totted-up and put towards the 95.4 mile goal. Once you reach 95.4 miles you receive a real medal or trophy which will be delivered to you.


What are you using your Ultrafast Wightfibre connection for this lockdown – have you got any top virtual fitness tips? Share your stories with us on Facebook or Twitter. If your connection is struggling to keep up and you’re looking for a new provider, check out our latest offers here.