8 ways to make lockdown life in Liverpool easier under new restrictions

With restrictions being made even tighter in Liverpool last week, being home is getting tougher than ever.

But with our list of things to keep us all busy and active – and stay mentally and physically healthy – we can all be lockdown ready…

Home Cook Liverpool 

Throughout the crisis the amazing chefs from venues across the city have shared some of their signatures dishes for us to recreate at home.

We’ve learned how to make Maray’s magical Disco Cauliflower, Nisha Katona shared some of the great Indian street food dishes that we’ve grown to love from Mowgli – and Gabriella Margiotta from Cucina di Vincenzo has taught us how to cook superb Italian meals. (Thanks to Paul Askew from The Art School Restaurant we can even offer fine dining to our families).

So why not pick a different dish and perfect your culinary skills with their help while we wait to return to Liverpool’s great restaurants again …

Find all of our Home Cook Liverpool recipes here.

Delivery Directory

Stores around the city and region set up delivery services so we can get everything we need to keep us fed and watered when we can’t get out.

And The Guide Liverpool made it easier to find out who’s doing what by teaming up with Independent Liverpool and Liverpool BID Company to create a directory of everyone who’s doing their bit to support the city and us while we’re at home.

There are hundreds of local businesses on the list with restaurants including  Tavern Co, Lunya, Free State Kitchen, Maray and Skaus and so many more ready to deliver a mountain of meals, while Berry & Rye, Love Lane Brewery, Beers@No.42 and BrewDog are among those on hand to deliver the drinks.

Get walking

We might not be able to travel too far but we can still get out and about on foot, whether we’re motivated by the chance to stay fit and healthy, or just seizing the fresh air to avoid going lockdown-crazy.

Taking a gentle stroll or going for a power walk as part of our daily exercise, loads of us got into our stride during national lockdown. So why stop now?

There are some great walks to do and you may even learn something new – even in a city you thought you knew so well…

Check out all of our WALKING ROUTES for Merseyside here.

Keeping fit and active

Walking is a great exercise to help stay fit and healthy but if you like to put yourself through your paces with a little more structure, there are lots of routines out there and help from the experts, including videos and how-to guides.

It helps to relieve the boredom and, thanks to a release of endorphins, lift our mood – and we could all do with that right now.

Strength and fitness coach for premiership footballers and Olympic gold medallists Neil Parsley is using his 25 years’ experience to get families across Merseyside off the couch and into a regular fitness routine with his YouTube channel, Family Fitness TV.

Sessions vary but might include a warm-up, and then two sets of 10 varied exercises like squats, lunges and jumps. Neil, from the Wirral, has also produced shorter clips which give ideas of fun things to do in the garden – like noughts and crosses with sticks and socks – and there’s health tips and nutritional recipes the kids can try.

Also Harriet McGuffie in the video above shared her top tips on how to stay active at home after gyms in Liverpool were closed.

Meanwhile Liverpool gym owner Connor O’Brien, from Absolute Body Solutions, has also created a home fitness regime that we can all do, with fitness tips and ideas.

Here are some top home workout tips from Connor at ABS Body Solutions

Log on for a virtual tour

Virtual tours are the next best thing to being there, so can still enjoy the city’s art and culture, and all its attractions.

You can explore Dinosaurs and the Natural World Exhibition at World Museum Liverpool, and take a trip around the International Slavery Museums.

Or, if the kids are around and fancy a trip to see some animals, you can go wild and go behind the scenes at Knowsley Safari and Chester Zoo – you can even join a guided tour of The Beatles’ homes.

And, for your classical music fix, what about streaming a classical concert courtesy of the Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Orchestra?

Liverpool Museum Virtual Tours

Knowsley Safari’s Home Safari

Chester Zoo

Beatles Childhood Homes Podcast

Liverpool Philharmonic Virtual Concerts

Do yoga at home

Yoga’s a great way of keeping calm and de-stressing, and you don’t have to join a physical class to get the benefits.

Louise Fitzsimmons from White Wolf Yoga in the city centre has created a series of YouTube videos to suit all ages and levels of ability, from absolute beginners to yoga lovers who do it regularly.

Just find yourself a quiet space at home, where you can stretch out in all directions. Then switch off your phone so you don’t get distracted, and either roll out your yoga mat or improvise with a beach towel, sofa throw or blanket – anything that gives you a bit of cushioning and won’t slip.

Louise’s videos vary from 10 minutes to around 45, and as well as yoga there are guided meditation sessions specifically for anxiety, muscle relaxation and positivity which could come in very handy over the next few weeks and months.

Get some home yoga tips from White Wolf here.

Join the regulars at Liverpool’s virtual pub

Liverpool’s Virtual Pub, The Virchy, was set up on Facebook by deputy head teacher Paul McEvoy and his wife Laurie back in Spring.

He thought it would be a fun way to bring people together when they couldn’t meet in bars and pubs, and also raise money for community groups helping to support people through the crisis.

The Virchy’s membership now stands at 77,000 and it’s still growing! It’s got merchandise going all over the country to raise even more money for the good causes and there’s regular live stream entertainment to keep everyone’s spirits up.

Log on to the Virchy here!

Let Scouse DIY expert Craig help you do all the jobs you keep putting off

If there’s one thing spending more time in the house does, it makes you notice all the things that need mending or updating.

Don’t let having no experience put you off tackling jobs because original Big Brother winner Craig Phillips and his wife Laura, aka Mr & Mrs DIY, are basically like having an extra couple of pairs of hands to help. Their online group is there for anyone who wants to find out DIY tips and tricks, as well as sharing any knowledge and advice.

Even if you’re just only getting to grips with the basics, it’ll build up your confidence so there’s no excuse not to rattle through that list now.

Find Craig’s feed on Facebook here.