How To Keep Fit While Self Isolating: Forces Sport Style

At times like this, social media can be a double edged sword.

Whilst it can’t be denied that many outlets carry a huge amount of misinformation that, in turn, can create panic and anger, it has also proved to be a vital tool in making the ‘stay at home’ campaign that little more bearable.

Whether you like them or not, hundreds of celebrities have already posted videos, quotes and even songs either in support of the key workers on the front line during this pandemic OR to keep the millions of us who are now housebound or at least ‘working from home’ entertained. 

And it’s not just celebrities. Far from it. 

How many messages are we all receiving, on a daily basis, with funny memes, GIFs and video clips attached? 

There seems to have been an incredible surge in this bite size content, some of which isn’t even relevant to the ongoing situation.

The important thing is, it makes people smile and we all need a bit more of that in our lives at the moment. 

The military too have been playing their part. 

Whilst hundreds of armed forces personnel are carrying out crucial jobs during this crisis, a lot of the uniformed sports personalities are buying in to the social media self isolation challenges. 

For example, the Royal Air Force Ladies Representative Football team have launched the tea bag challenge...

Demonstrated here by defender Rachael Howes, the skill is to land a tea bag from your foot in to your mug in one smooth movement.

Another RAF and UK Armed Forces footballer Cat Beaver can be seen trying out some skills on the Oxford United Women Regional Talent Club Twitter page as part of the #OxStayHomeChallenge.  

The men, meanwhile, are following the likes of professional footballers around the world in another #StayAtHomeChallenge by playing keepy uppy with a toilet roll! 

And, as David Webb found out, it’s not as easy as it looks!

Webb, featured above, is also a strong advocate of staying healthy and fit whilst staying at home.

And this was posted by the Physical Training Instructors at Brize Norton to help people achieve that.

Keeping fit is a common theme, especially when your sport usually requires you to be in another country.

GB para-nordic skier Steve Arnold though is busy training at home.

The rugby world has also come up with some novel ways to maintain skills and stay in shape.

Here’s Royal Navy and Fiji forward Sam Matavesi honing his lineout throw….

Northampton Saints will be pleased their hooker is putting in the hours of practise…

And several military players, including Army speedster Lou Dodds, featured in the Wasps Ladies #stayconnected at home video.

They had several hashtags attached to the post including #staystrong #stayconnected #staysafe and #stayathome.

These are just a few of the examples from the internet of how sport is helping people keep their spirits up at a time when competition, at pretty much every level, is being cancelled or postponed.