During these challenging times, it's never been more important for us to keep moving. Exercise is proven to boost self-esteem, sleep quality and brain power while reducing the risk of depression and disease. The January weather (and blues) can make it all the more difficult for us to motivate ourselves to get fit. But fear not, Paperclip is here with our top tips for staying active...

Give Yoga a go-go

Yoga is a safe and effective way to build up your strength, flexibility and balance. Learning the poses correctly helps minimise the risk of injury and a even a quick session once in a while can be great for clearing your mind. Attending classes are usually advisable if you’ve never done it before, but there are plenty of teach-yourself videos and live-streams online you can access for free during lockdown.

Home cookin'

Whether you're jetting off to school, college or work, it can be all too easy for us to grab some food-to-go and as we know, it's not always the healthiest option...

Now we are all spending more time at home, there's never been a better time to work on our culinary prowess. Whats more, there's a ton of free recipe apps dedicated to helping you hit your weight-loss and fitness targets...

You can also check out Paperclip's 'Home & Garden' category. There are some great bargains on utensils and all your other kitchen essentials.

Now not having the correct kit is no excuse...

Bring the gym to your living room

For some us, not being able to hit the gym has been one of the toughest parts of lockdown. The wet weather and short days can make pounding the pavement seem even less appealing than it did before.

However, you can now bring the gym the comfort of your front room. If you don't mind buying your gear second hand, there are some real bargains out there. Remember, used plates weigh the exact same amount as brand new ones and cost a fraction of the price. Head to Paperclip's 'Sports and Outdoors' category and save up to 50% on the RRP of all your home gym essentials.

Want to make a 100% saving on your home workout kit?

We're giving away everything you need to turbo-charge your workout completely free to one lucky user. It's free and super simple (it takes less than a minute) to enter. Just head to our Fitness Fortnight competition post to find out more...

Learn to meditate

During times of anxiety, it can be really useful to practice meditation to help manage your headspace. Reducing stress can help lower cortisol (the stress hormone that makes losing weight all the more difficult) considerably. If you’re not sure what meditation or breathwork entails, it’s the practice of training the mind to a state of mental clarity that studies have found helps you deal with stress, anxiety and more.

Meditation needn't be something that takes hours out of your schedule. Just 15 minutes of sitting alone in a quiet room is a great start. There are plenty of great resources online and some great communities on social media for you to get involved with...

Exercise with friends

Prefer to hit the gym or go for a run with your buddy? Well you've got plenty of options for you break a sweat with your mates from home. Not only have Houseparty and Zoom surged in popularity over lockdown, but online instructor classes from Turnd Up and SG23 have also kept us moving with interactive, screen-sharing sessions available online. In short, there are now loads ways for you to link up with your pals online, without having to leave the home.

Remember you win everything you need for the perfect home workout by entering our Fitness Fortnight home gym competition. Click here for more info...