Lockdown can be tough – along with studying, eating well and catching up with your friends and family, you need to make sure you are getting enough exercise.

With the sports hall closed and public gyms closed for the unforeseeable future, getting your regular exercise can be tricky. Also staying at home for a long period of time can make you lose the motivation to keep fit.

However, it is imperative that you take up physical exercise because not only does it keep you calm and will also boost your health during this unprecedented time.

Here are some tips on how to stay physically active when self isolating.

Take short active breaks during the day

Short bouts of physical activity add up to the weekly recommendations. Dancing and performing domestic chores such as cleaning and gardening are other ways to stay active at home.

Follow an online exercise class

If you can’t get up in time to join Joe Wicks, why not take advantage of the amount of online exercise classes available on YouTube? They are free and there are lots to choose from.

Walk

Even in small spaces, walking around or walking on the spot, can help you remain active. If you are on a call with classmates, stand or walk around your home while you speak, instead of sitting down. If you decide to go outside to walk or exercise, be sure to maintain at least a two-meter distance from other people.

Stand up while studying

Mix up your study habits by standing up whenever possible. Consider setting up a standing desk by using a high table or stacking a pile of books or other materials, to continue working while standing.

Try something new

Why not try yoga, dog walks, running, taekwondo, hula hooping, online exercises classes (e.g. from Kent Dance) and even turning your housemate’s empty bedroom into a home gym!

We are hosting a Web Cafe on Thursday 12 November between 13:00 and 13:30. This is a friendly drop in event, where students can discuss anything they wish.

Students will be able to discuss a variety of topics such as their studies, wellbeing, concerns, current news items and events as well as enabling us to update you on current topics.

Please come along and join us – whether or not you have a subject to raise. All matters can be discussed and all students are welcome.

You can sign up for the event on the link below:

Web Cafe on Thursday 12 November

Students will be sent the Zoom link a couple of days before.

Are these the same as Web Chats?

No, Web Chats are slightly more formal events lead by University staff on a specific topic to share important information with you, often followed by student Q&A. See the next Web Chat.

Every Friday at 15:00, Kent Union will be hosting Weekly Wind-Downs where students will be able to discuss any of their concerns or just have a catch up with the Union.

Whether you have any questions about your time at university, worried about COVID-19, or just want a chat, Aisha Dosanjh, your Vice-President Welfare & Community, will be available for you to drop in anytime. If you want to talk about something more privately, feel free to email beforehand via a.dosanjh@kent.ac.uk.

The Weekly Wind-Downs run until until 18 December.

You can join the sessions by clicking on the link below:

https://bit.ly/3dBTwmu

For more information, please head to Kent Union’s Facebook page.

There are a few exhibitions celebrating Black History Month which focus on the contribution Black people have made to the UK.

African Women and the British Health Service – Keynes College

This exhibition showcases the work women of African heritage contributed to the NHS. Despite their long history of work within the health service in Britain, the role of African women is rarely highlighted in discussions of the history of the NHS or of health work more generally.  This project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and curated by the Young Historians Project in partnership with Ghana Nurses Association, Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association and the Black Cultural Archives.

Kent Black Lives Matter: Student Protests Exhibition – Keynes College

This photographic exhibition is a visual reminder of when students at the University of Kent campus joined together to support the Black Lives Matter anti-racist protests.

The Black Liberation Front digital exhibition

This exhibition presents the history of the Black Liberation Front (BLF) in Britain. The BLF was active in Britain from 1971-1993 and had its roots in the wider Black Power movement.  The BLF worked with other groups in Britain and had strong international links with organisations and individuals worldwide concerned with Black liberation and has been curated by the Young Historians Project.

We are hosting Careers in Defence for non-STEM students on Wednesday October 21 at 15:30. Join a panel of defence sector representatives, including Kent alumni, who will share their experiences about working in defence, discuss the opportunities available and the value that non-STEM graduates provide in their workplaces.

This will be followed by a Q+A with representatives from BAE, DstL and Janes as well as Jack Radford (Military History), a returning placement student. This event is suitable for Humanities/History, Business, Economics, SECL, SSPSSR, Psychology and all non-STEM.

Ella Fleming – Senior Analyst in DstL and Visiting Fellow for RUSI (BSC International Politics, MA Conflict Security and Development)

She works for Defence and Security and has expertise in socio-cultural and regional analysis, intelligence analysis, gender in the armed forces. She also has experience in designing external outreach models and external partnership management.

Martin Parr – honorary professor at the University of Kent and a senior principal consultant at Dstl.

Martin Parr is an honorary professor at the University of Kent and a senior principal consultant at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). Martin regularly teaches at the Defence Academy and on the University of Kent’s MBA programme.

Rebecca Jaggon – Systems Engineer, BAE Systems (MA Control Systems Engineering)

Rebecca is a Systems Engineer at BAE Systems and in this time, she has worked on aircraft control sticks, heads-up displays and controls. Before this she completed a Masters in Control and Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield, which gave me a strong background in modelling.

Richard Blake – Procurement Graduate Scheme, BAE Systems (BA Business and Music)

Richard Blake is a second year Procurement Graduate at BAE Systems who studied at Canterbury Christchurch University.

Sam Cranny-Evans – Editor of Janes Armoured Fighting Vehicles (BA War Studies at Kent)

Sam Cranny-Evans is the editor of Janes Armoured Fighting Vehicles, his writing focuses on paradigms in modern land warfare, and how armoured fighting vehicles have evolved to meet those emerging demands.

Jack Radford – Defence Analyst, DstL Professional Placement Year student (BA History with Professional Placement Year at Kent)

Jack is a current student at the University of Kent studying History with an emphasis on Military, British and Russian History. He has recently completed a Year-In-Industry placement as a Defence Analyst with the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory [dstl], an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence.

This event will take place on Zoom and is bookable via Target Connect. 

Students will receive 10 Employability Points for attending.

As part of Black History Month we are hosting a webinar on the history of African Women in the NHS. The event takes place on Monday 26 October between 17:00 to 18:30 and consists of a one hour workshop exploring the valuable contribution African women have made to the sector. It will be followed by a 30 minute Q&A session. Questions can be submitted in advance via Becky Lamyman on R.S.Lamyman@kent.ac.uk.

Recruitment for the British health service from the colonies of the British Empire began in the period after the Second World War. However, nurses, doctors and other medical professionals trained in Britain before this, as Higher Education was not available in the colonies.

Despite their long history of work within the health service in Britain, the role of African women is rarely highlighted in discussions of the history of the NHS or of health work more generally. As current narratives on black women in the British health service tend to focus on ‘Windrush generation’ Caribbean contributions, this project will cover new ground and expand the understanding of this history.

This webinar is FREE and open to all.

Simply register your attendance on eventbrite and a link to the Teams event will be emailed to all registered participants.

Do you need somewhere on campus to join online lectures or seminars on your laptop or on a student PC? There are study hubs across the Canterbury campus with socially distanced study spaces and PCs.

You can also use one of the many seminar rooms, lecture theatres and teaching PC rooms across the Canterbury and Medway campuses while they are not in use for teaching.

We have QR codes outside these rooms so you can easily check if they’re free, and an online tool to check in advance is coming soon.

Head to Library and IT services site for more information.