Health expert reveals doing this one thing during lockdown could save your life

A health professor has revealed the one thing you should be doing in lockdown that could save your life.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to increase our anxiety levels, it’s easy to feel like we have no control over the current situation.

But according to one health professor, there’s one thing you could be doing right now to improve your chances of surviving the virus in case you catch it.

Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London’s school of public health, advised the public to stay fit and healthy, and potentially lose weight you case you need it.

Speaking to The Sunday Times over the weekend, he said, “It is always better to stay fit and healthy.

“We need to assess our risks from a personal perspective, including getting fit and losing weight.”

Professor Neil's advice comes as news stats from the NHS show that 38 per cent of people who have been admitted to intensive care for coronavirus are obese, and 55 per cent of those patients die.

Another health expert, Fredrik Karpe – who’s a professor of metabolic medicine at Oxford University – also told the publication that excess weight could make it harder for your body to fight the virus.

READ MORE: This may be why you’re having such vivid dreams during lockdown

He explained, “If you have a big belly, then when you lie down the weight of it pushes your diaphragm upwards, reducing lung volume.

“This virus is all about lung function.”

Of course the link between several diseases and being unfit is not new. A study done by Queen’s University last year looked at the link between the risk of several diseases and time spent being inactive.

It claimed that 69,276 deaths a year are associated with living a sedentary lifestyle, with irregular exercise and lots of time spent sitting down.

But the good news is, you can do something about it - starting today! If you’re looking for ways to keep fit during lockdown, we have a few suggestions.

Professor Karpe suggested that walking is actually the best way to start, and that your lung capacity could improve in just two weeks.

MORE: How to get walking for weight loss

So if you can go outside under the government’s guidelines, enjoying a daily brisk walk could do wonders for your health.

If you’d prefer to exercise in the house, Joe Wicks has launched a brilliant series of workouts for seniors, which you can easily follow at home.

And woman&home's very own Annie Deadman has also created a 21-day plan to get you fit in less than a month.

There is also plenty of at home workouts you can follow on social media platforms - you can check out woman&home's schedule for live workouts and videos of past ones here.

With so many easily-accessible resources, you'll struggle to find an excuse not to...

Let's get moving!