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From weird to genius, people in China are trying every trick to prevent coronavirus infection and stay fit

People are pulling every string amid the chaos of coronavirus in China so that they can stay hale and hearty. And a man just pulled off a marathon at his place.
Marathon in a room, who would have thought. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Nikita Bhardwaj Updated: 4 Mar 2020, 18:36 pm IST
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Novel coronavirus or now known as COVID-19 has created a panic situation in the entire world. Then may it be the mask mayhem or the endless list of tips and tricks that you can try to keep yourself safe.

From going nuts to cracking it like a pro–people are doing whatever it takes to nip this virus in the bud. Or at least prevent an infection. Pictures and videos from China are going viral, where people can be seen trying innovative measures to safeguard themselves. 

For instance…

People in China are trying creative DIYs to prevent infection 
This girl put a panty liner in her mask to protect herself from the virus. 

And she’s not the only one. People are also wrapping themselves in plastic sheets as a precautionary measure. Not just that, many have been seen wearing five-litre plastic water cans for protection. Told ya! Crazy!

Those cooped up inside their homes are trying innovative ways to cope 
Meet, Pan Shancu who ran 60 kms in his own apartment because he couldn’t go out. You must be thinking that how do we know that he ran exactly 60kms. Well, his data tracker says it all. 

There is a lockdown in China but that hasn’t stopped him from staying fit. And when the threat of coronavirus is prevailing in the entire country then it becomes all the more important to stay healthy and improve your immunity. And what’s better than running? 

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In an interview to AFP, Shancu said that he jogged 66 kms in a loop at home in six hours, 41 minutes. “I felt a little dizzy at first, but you get used to it after you circle many times,” this 44-year old man told the agency.

On another occasion, he ran 30 kms on the spot in his bathroom and live-streamed it to inspire others who have similarly been confined at home for the last two weeks.

Worried about the health of its citizens, the Chinese government is also suggesting its people to stay fit indoors 
With much of the 1.4 billion population ordered indoors and gyms closed, Chinese people are competing with each other when it comes to activities like how many bottles of water they can lift, how many push-ups they can do with their children on their backs, or how many flights of stairs they can scale in their tower blocks.

The government of China has also launched a campaign featuring Olympic athletes to demonstrate how people can stay fit while spending endless days stuck inside.

Also, read: Here’s why the novel coronavirus is spreading like wildfire and creating mass panic

They are circulating pamphlets and suggesting people that they can use tables, chairs, and even door frames and can stay fit inside their homes.

“People should try walking and running on the spot, skipping, push-ups, sit-ups, and so on to stay healthy”, says government expert Zhao Wenhua told a press conference.

Of course, smartphones are helping too 
Some people have turned to technology, using apps on their smartphones that show how to work out without equipment and sharing the results with their friends.

Bilibili, a popular video-sharing platform, says views of fitness-related content jumped nearly 50% in the period January 23 to February 5 compared to the two weeks before.

Peter Gardner, a 61-year-old operations manager at an American firm, gave climbing the stairs a shot. When he was allowed to go out for some essential stock he twice ran up and down the emergency stairwell of his 17-floor apartment tower three times a day.

“It’s good in some ways,” said Gardner, whose family has temporarily left China, leaving him with their two guinea pigs for company. “I can’t go out for beers and I’ve lost about three-quarters of a kilo,” he said by telephone. “There are no places to eat, nowhere to go, and I’m eating simply, because I can’t buy the stuff I want,” he added.

Basically, people are using every possible opportunity to keep themselves fit in this grim situation. And they should because COVID-19 is still invincible as its vaccine is still awaited.    

It’s always good to look out for alternatives when you can’t hit the gym. And who says being fit means hitting the gym anyways–at least Mr Shancu doesn’t think that way. 

Yes, it might be weird but in this situation indoor exercising is actually a genius way to workout – so, try it. 

With inputs from PTI and AFP

Nikita Bhardwaj

Six-pack abs are all that Nikita needs, along with her daily dose of green tea. At Health Shots, she produces videos, podcasts, stories, and other kick-ass content. ...Read More

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