By Puja Gupta

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANSlife): If this pandemic has taught us anything at all it's that simplicity and minimalism go a long way. Whether it's about life in general, your work or even your workouts, life is looking back to basics.

When it comes to wellness, people have turned to ancient forms of exercise to maintain both their minds and bodies. Old school workouts like walking, cycling, yoga, tai chi, meditation and classic body weight exercises are the new normal.

In the last few months people's approach to health has become quite holistic, people have started realizing the importance of it, this includes your physical health, your mental health, your social health, your spiritual health and your financial health.

Finally, conversations around body confidence and body positivity don't involve hi-tech workouts, fancy equipment and gyms. It's about what makes us healthy and happy. Thanks to the lockdown and people having no option but to improvise, there is no longer any pressure to follow a rigorous exercise regime just because your favourite fitness influencer on social media is doing it.

Back in day exercise videos by celebrities with amazing bodies were followed by women across the world from their drawing rooms in order to get into shape. In 2020 it's pretty much the sam thing, virtual workouts and digital classes have became a thing; different platforms have introduced classes which can be easily incorporated in your daily routine.

Sarvesh Shashi, Founder, SARVA and Diva Yoga, says: "People have stuck to basics of running, walking, exploring their surroundings, when there was a slight relief from the lockdown, this is hardly done in big cities as a norm. Due to the traffic which is insane people prefer indoors more than the outdoors. It's interesting to see how everyone took to fitness and many have become their fittest best."

"The new normal gives us an understanding of how dependent we had become on gyms and this pandemic takes us back to old school methods of exercising, which are the most effective. They are age old and tried and tested methods of meditation and yoga, to helped relieve us from stress and anxiety, keep our bodies fit and aid in overall wellness," Reebok Master Trainer Shivoham tells IANSlife.

Conversations have shifted from exercise to a celebration of strength and happiness. If walking and meditation make you happy, go for it, you don't have to punish yourself with strenuous exercise just because your favourite actor is doing it.

"The human body has been designed for movement, at the end of the day what matters is that you find happiness in doing activities that bring about physical and mental satisfaction. During the lockdown there has been an increase in people running, walking and practicing yoga, and I think this is here to stay," says Crossfit trainer Protima Tiwary.

Reebok Master Trainer Vinata Shetty explains the reason of more and more people going back to basics when it comes to fitness. "The reason is simple! It's affordable, can be done anywhere (especially from home), it doesn't require fancy and expensive equipment, as it only requires minimal supervision; it is safe and effective .Old school workouts connect you to nature and incorporate movements that are universal like motor recruitment patterns that enhance functional life. It's time to ring out the new and bring in the old school."

Shashi added: "People have stopped splurging money on unnecessary expenses, people have started understanding the importance of cash conservation, people have started understanding the importance of savings, all of us have recognised the importance of our families and have become considerably closer during the lockdown."