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The Unexpected Benefits of Keeping Fit at Home

Father attempting to stretch or exercise at home, with his young baby on his back, both smiling..

The Unexpected Benefits of Keeping Fit at Home

When the first COVID-19-induced lockdown hit in 2020, one of the questions that arose out of the “new normal” was how to adapt our exercise routines to a world where gyms were closed, distancing was encouraged and our daily commute had been reduced to the few steps from our bedrooms to our hastily improvised “home offices”.

Of course, the loss of exercise opportunities is hardly the most serious fallout from the pandemic, but the fact is that, while it may seem like a luxury, exercise has actually become all the more vital for both our physical and mental wellbeing in the face of the changes wrought by COVID-19.

The importance of exercise is well-documented by now, so for many, the question around exercise is not “why” but “how”. Specifically, if exercise is a necessity, how do we now go about it in ways that are safe, innovative and adaptable to our new ways of living and working? As with many other aspects of our new lifestyles, technology has provided some innovative solutions.

The rise of the apps

For many people, the solution to lack of gym time has been to turn to their smartphones for everything from exercise programmes to healthy eating plans to mental health and mindfulness. Many of these apps have seen a sharp increase in downloads and users since 2019, with the category recording an all-time high of 270 million downloads in January 2021 (Apptopia 2021). Popular running app Couch to 5K has also been endorsed on the official NHS website as part of their Live Well initiative.

Coaches go remote

Some of the best performing health and fitness apps are those that have offered users either pre-recorded instructional videos or live-streaming sessions with instructors. But it isn’t always necessary to use an app (and likely pay a subscription fee) for some face-to-face time with an instructor. Many fitness professionals have taken to hosting classes via video-chat platforms such as Zoom or uploading videos of their training sessions to YouTube, offering group or 1-on-1 sessions without the need to leave home or join a gym.

Internet-of-things for fitness

Much like the term “fourth industrial revolution”, the internet of things is one of those phrases that you have likely heard thrown around in trends articles or strategy reports. When it comes to personal fitness, however, many of us have been impacted by the internet-of-things in ways we’ve come to take for granted, from step-counters on our smartphones and GPS-enabled fitness trackers, to smart-workout equipment being sold by companies like Peloton.  

Exercise-data is good for us too

An unexpected silver-lining of the shift in exercise routines is the abundance of data now available to innovative companies dedicated to using it to improve the lives of their customers. At Elevate, customers can choose to share a variety of data, including fitness data, with us, allowing us to meet their needs by crafting unique insurance products. We can also use fitness data to help our customers set wellness goals and earn rewards for staying engaged and reaching their fitness milestones. 

With all your data in one place, we can provide a single view of how you are doing across all these new platforms, be guided on what to do next and the most important areas to improve.

And there’s more

We also believe that healthier, fitter people should pay less for their life insurance. We enable this through Elevate Rewards, in which our policyholders can receive up to 30% of their life premiums paid back to them in cash every month for achieving bespoke wellness goals. These goals address each customer’s holistic wellness, across not just their fitness data, but also their financial, healthcare, and credit health. Because we understand that a person’s wellness is holistic and so should be our approach in helping each policyholder to live a long, healthy, and prosperous life!

Here’s to yours! Get an obligation-free quote in less than 30 seconds to start your journey to improved wellness and meaningful support.

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