There can be no denying the beneficial impact that a trip outside the house can give to people during lockdown, whether it’s simply to get a breath of fresh air from a doorway, venture to the local park or to head further afield. These little pockets of movement have been essential during the nationwide lockdown but, for many people in the shielding category, they have been near impossible to enjoy.

In new research compiled by We Are Undefeatable, the collective revealed that two-thirds of people living with long term health conditions say that getting outdoors for physical activity is crucial for their mental health. Unfortunately the true scale of the impact lockdown lifting is having on people with underlying health conditions is only just being realised, with 55% of people reporting feeling anxious about lockdown lifting, a quarter saying that they are still afraid to leave the house, and one in five admitting to not leaving their home since mid-March, except for emergencies.

Some 43% of people in England live with a health condition and so, to support and inspire them to get active, We Are Undefeatable have released a new campaign from FCB Inferno. The latest ad is a continuation of the first that saw real people living with health conditions in the UK demonstrating how they’re getting active.

In addition to revisiting the stories of the original cast, the team also sourced new stories. They included Mahesh, a man who manages multiple conditions and who has taken up doing yoga with online videos; Linda, who is both a primary carer for her husband and someone living with arthritis, which she manages through physio; and Paul, who has found a range of ways to keep moving as his Parkinson’s disease has progressed.

The resulting film offers an intimate and authentic glimpse into the real lives of those in the UK living with a range of conditions. It highlights both the ways they have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis and also the little victories that come with being active.

We Are Undefeatable is a collaboration of 15 leading health and social care charities supported by national lottery funding and expertise from Sport England. Alongside the campaign, the collective have launched a number of new digital tools to offer a further level of support. These include a virtual assistant tool on social media and a new library of customisable workouts.

While many people have longed for the lockdown lifting, the situation is not so simple for people with health conditions whose shielding status has had a direct impact on their freedom. The beauty of this campaign, and ongoing support series of tools, is that it captures the creativity at the heart of how many people are staying both physically and mentally active in uncertain and highly-restrictive times. 

Visit We Are Undefeatable’s website to find out more.