As we plunged into another national lockdown on January 4, gyms felt the full force of the governmental restrictions.

For many, exercise is vital to their daily or weekly routine to maintain physical and mental health.

But things are looking up - temperatures are set to increase and days to gain more light as we enter February. There is more of a chance to get those trainers on and step outside for some exercise and fresh air.

Wiktoria Sedkowska from Hackney and Ivan Gal from Putney are both personal trainers.

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They both shared their diet and exercise tips with MyLondon to get in shape and combat bad habits that make us feel more lethargic, as well as the foods we should be eating to stay on track.

Wiktoria said that cutting back on the amount you eat is important in lockdown.

"It is important to realise that as we aren't moving as much as before," she said. "So we can't eat as much as we used to when we were walking or travelling to work.

"I highly recommend to cut down on eating big dinners. It's better to have carbs for lunch so our body has time to digest that and for a last meal have something light.

"Dressings and crazy amounts of salt aren't good for us.

"If you love sweets, opt for healthy substitutes. Myself, I can't live without a cup of natural cocoa with Stevia and coconut milk. Delicious, full of potassium and less than 100kcal per cup."

Ivan agrees in terms of decreasing carbs but advises us to increase the amount of healthy fats in our diets like fatty fish, avocados and chia seeds.

"If you want to build muscle I suggest a higher protein intake. Don't avoid the fats - they are crucial in both fat loss and muscle gain."

You might think that with gyms once again closed, you're limited in what you can do from home.

If going out for a gruelling run isn't your thing, then not to worry.

Ivan says that resistance bands are the way to gain and sustain muscle.

"I use resistance bands and body weight exercises for myself and my clients," he said. "Mane Sports' bands are excellent for these."

He also posts his workouts in the parks using some unusual but brilliant substitutes.

Lifting the weekly shop can really add definition to your arms it seems.

Wiktoria gave us a more detailed workout plan below.

She said: "Exercises like push ups, pull ups, planks, sit ups, lunges and squats will never be out of fashion because they work for the main group of muscles.

"This is a recommended full body workout for beginners."

Here's the workout in full:

10-15 push ups(on the knees if you don't have enough strength)

10-15 back extension

10-15 triceps dips

10-15 bridges

10-15 lunges(each leg)

10-20 squats

10-15 sit ups

Plank (hold as long as you can)

20 bicycle crunches

If you don't exactly know what these exercises are, YouTube offers great short videos on how to perform them properly.

She continued: "For cardio I recommend getting into jogging- the change of scenery and fresh air will do good for you!"

But what about those mornings when all you want to do is sleep in for an extra 15 minutes? Well, Ivan is very unforgiving.

Ivan said: "The best way to stay active during the lockdown is not to rely on motivation.

"Motivation comes and goes but what makes you wake up every day and put in the work is discipline."

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London PT's snack to fight sugar cravings that's a better choice than chocolate - My London