'We are being as inventive as we possibly can': How athletes are staying fit during coronavirus lockdown

  • Video report by ITV News Sports Correspondent Amy Lewis

With opportunities to exercise at a premium it can be frustrating for the average gym-goer but it's even tougher for professional athletes.

Athletes are having to stay in the best possible shape for when their chosen sport returns and are having to do so in the confines of their own homes.

From Katarina Johnson-Thompson's home heptathlon to cricket in the hallway, professionals are getting to grips with their new normal.

Badminton players Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith in Milton Keynes are training in their garden with rackets, while also doing weight work using paint cans.

"We are being as inventive as we possibly can, this afternoon we were out on the street doing a bit of footwork," Smith told ITV News.

"I think the neighbours are entertained or confused, I am not sure."

The pair, who are UK Badminton's No.1 mixed doubles pairing, were hoping to represent Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics this summer but that dream has been put back at year.

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Exercise is still allowed during lockdown and promoted by many to aid one's mental health during the period.

"From a mental side of things, every time I have exercised I have felt the better for it," Smith explains.

Rock climber Steve McClure has been using the side of his house as a practice course, as he can't visit the real thing.

“It might look extreme to me as a climber, it’s actually a really good way to keep fit," McClure says.