Now that many of us are confined to our homes for most of the day, we’re wondering how to fill our hours. Some of us are lucky enough to work from home — but what do you do when you’re finished for the day? One thing lots of people are doing is paying attention to their health and fitness, something that’s so important given the health crisis the world has been plunged into by COVID-19.
Here are five ways you can stay healthy during quarantine, self-isolation or lockdown.
- Bodyweight Workouts: Who needs a gym and all that equipment, when you have the weight of your own body to work with? Bodyweight workouts are simple and easy to do — and highly effective in helping you get into shape. You can look up lots of them on the internet, and there are tons of videos featuring trainers who will take you through your paces. Some of the most common bodyweight workouts include:
- Push-ups
- Planks
- Squats
- Lunges
- Starjumps
You can do these practically anywhere, and you need hardly any space at all — so no excuses now!
- Yoga: Online yoga classes, including some, live via Zoom, is taking the world by storm. More people are discovering the health and flexibility benefits of the ancient Hindu discipline, which is based on spiritual and physical elements — especially as they have the time to do it. You can find everything ranging from Quarantine Challenges to 30-day yoga practices on the internet. All you need is a mat and you’re all set. So I will suggest that build a social community online with whom you can talk, exercising or yoga. Many online communities provide this kind of activity to bring people closer virtually and stay healthier.
- Clean Eating: The idea of “eating clean” is that you consume food in as natural a state as possible. That means food includes minimal or no processing and has practically no added ingredients like chemicals to preserve shelf life and artificial colours and flavours. Natural food is the best way to give your body the nutrients it needs and to support all its systems — including the immune system at this heightened time of infection. In one sense, many of us are lucky because we now have the time to make our own meals — we can’t exactly go out to restaurants anyway, because they’re closed (although takeouts are possible). Fresh fruit and vegetables are an integral part of clean eating, but you can also take things like protein shakes containing essential vitamins and trace minerals and can help you lose weight and get into shape quicker.
- Stop Smoking: This is the most important thing you can do right now, to prevent yourself from falling ill, so slashing the risk of early death. By now, everyone knows how incredibly bad smoking cigarettes is for people’s health. It robs smokers of vital oxygen, piling their bodies full of toxic chemicals and puts them at risk of developing an array of potentially fatal diseases, such as cancers and heart disease. Doctors believe that smokers who become infected with the coronavirus are 14 times more likely to have severe symptoms because the lungs are already compromised. Quitting is not easy, but many smokers are doing it with the help of vape kits they get from a reputable online vape store. While vaping is not entirely risk-free, health authorities believe it’s “at least 95% less harmful, and of negligible risk to bystanders”.
- Chill: While working out and eating right is important, it’s also essential that you take some downtime – especially during this period of anxiety. So take some time for yourself and relax. Do some meditation or mindfulness, fire up Netflix and watch your favourite shows — maybe even try some of the best games online and have a flutter. You can also indulge yourself in a pizza or something else you love — after all your hard work, you deserve it.
