We’re now seven days into the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic lockdown and it is feeling like a long time today, particularly as it is raining and cold up here in the highveld. If you’re up above the clouds on the international Space Station, or down on the sea in an oil tanker, it’s likely that it’s just a normal day in the office for you.

The reality for most of us though is that this is not a normal day in the office – far from it. I really do miss the daily routine, especially the exercise. Typically, I go to the local gym every day and thunder (think of a herd of elephants) my way through 30 minutes on the treadmill, followed by some light to medium weight exercises. Not only does this make me feel good but it also assuages the guilt that I occasionally feel, leading as I do a mainly sedentary lifestyle compared to all those folk who have to walk to work and have mainly manually-orientated jobs. My life is mainly that of a desk jockey, talking on the phone, typing on a keyboard and clicking the mouse. Again, thinking of elephants and how much they eat – hence the thundering on the treadmill. I guess it’s all about balance, and being confined as we all are currently, it’s not that easy to exercise. It can be done though.

Read here about the guy who ran a half marathon on his balcony, .. There’s also a group of people doing an Argus cycle tour every day during the lockdown by spending up to 5 hours daily on their indoor bicycles. They are kindly donating sponsored money to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

Sadly, I don’t have a balcony or an indoor bike – such a pity. That was until my wife, bless her, pointed out that we have a perfectly good driveway. I have discovered that if I thunder around the driveway at a reasonable pace for 30 minutes I end up doing my daily three-and-a-bit kilometers jog. A good friend who is a bio-kineticist has developed some really cool style exercises using weights that you can do at home with a bucket of water and a sturdy elephant-proof wall. You can click here to follow her.

By Mark Annett