After the start of the large-scale war, Ukrainians did not like sports, morning jogs and yoga.
Why is physical activity so important to us now? The level of stress hormone (cortisol) decreases during physical activity.

So if you are in a safe place now, resume your sport activities. Regular physical activity has health benefits:

• Prevents stress and improves mood.
• Strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
• Normalizes cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure.
• Strengthens muscles, bones and ligaments.
• Reduces the risk of injury, strengthens the musculoskeletal system, and develops flexibility and agility.
• Improves brain activity, and increases oxygen supply to the brain.
• Improves creativity.

Here are some tips to help you stay physically active:

• Take short active breaks during the day. For 5-10 minutes of activity, you can do simple exercises – torso tilts, squats, push-ups, and arm and leg movements. Dancing, playing with children, cleaning, ball, hoop, home exercise, and more are good ways to stay active.
• Find an online workout for yourself. Coaches of various sports practices have their own online classes. Find exercise videos, work with a ZOOM trainer, and look for like-minded people. Be careful when choosing classes, make sure they are right for you and you can do them yourself.
• Go more. Even in the apartment, there is an opportunity to walk. Don’t stop walking; it helps keep your muscles toned. You can “walk” around the room by talking to a friend or colleague on the phone, as well as on the spot, letting some fresh air into the room. It is useful to walk up the stairs.
• Get up more often. Many people have a sedentary lifestyle. This increases the risk of developing: visual impairment, scoliosis, haemorrhoids, etc. We recommend getting up and stretching to full height every 30 minutes. Think about what part of the job you could do standing up. This will help diversify working hours and improve health.
• Relax. If you feel nervous, take deep breaths and exhale, and try to tune in to positive thoughts. You can sing your favorite song out loud.
• All adults are advised to have 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day. The most important thing is to start. If you find it difficult, do simple exercises: bends, squats, arm and leg movements, dance or play with children. Even ordinary household chores can be a way for you to improve your health.