Are you prioritizing your health and fitness during the lockdown?
It’s been more than a year and a half since the world turned upside down and changed forever due to the pandemic. However, despite the progress, there are still hundreds and thousands of COVID cases every day.
A lot of places are still under strict lockdown. There may be some countries or states that have eased their restrictions, but the fact remains that the pandemic has changed the way we live forever.
When it comes to health and wellness in particular, more and more people are making sure to stay fit and healthy despite being in lockdown.
If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s to never take our health for granted. In this article, we share tips on how to prioritize your health and fitness during the lockdown.
How to Prioritize Your Health and Fitness During the Lockdown
As COVID-19 cases still continue to grow, many individuals are requested to stay indoors and self-quarantine for their safety and the safety of those around them.
One of the main changes that this pandemic has brought us is that we need to change the way we think about exercising. For many of us, pre-pandemic, we went to the gym or an exercise class to stay fit.
However, with the changes in the world, we need to learn to adjust and find creative ways to stay fit and healthy at home.
Staying indoors for a prolonged period of time can take a toll on our mental, emotional, and physical health. Additionally, it can pose quite a bit of a challenge to remain physically active.
Working from home and spending more time indoors has led a lot of us to live a more sedentary lifestyle than before the pandemic. When we live a sedentary lifestyle and lack movement or exercise, this can have negative effects on our health and our well-being.
So, here are a few ways to stay active and prioritize your health and fitness during the lockdown.
Stay Active While at Home
Staying active at home doesn’t mean you have to be a fitness guru or health buff. There are so many ways to incorporate movement in our daily lives even while at home. Although it is good to set aside a specific time to do your exercise regimen, another way to stay fit and active is by incorporating movement into your everyday life. Here’s how.
Take Short Active Breaks Throughout the Day
We are all working from home and find ourselves hunched over our laptops for most of the day. This is why it’s important to include short breaks within the day to stand up and add a bit of movement.
You can try walking to the kitchen to get a cup of water. Do some light stretching when you get up. Play with your children or pets. Do some chores at home like scrubbing, sweeping, or wiping.
Dancing is also a great way to add movement and give yourself that much-needed boost of energy.
Follow an Online Exercise Class
There are hundreds of free videos online to choose from when it comes to exercises. From hardcore HIIT to the slower-paced Yin Yoga. There are also online exercise challenges that you can join to give you added motivation to show up to your online exercise class each day.
With the wealth of information available at our fingertips, there’s no excuse not to add movement and exercise to our day.
Home-Based Exercises To Try During Lockdown
Touch one knee with the opposite elbow, alternating sides. Find your own pace. Try to perform this for 1–2 minutes, rest for 30–60 seconds, and repeat up to 5 times. This exercise should increase your heart and breathing rates.
Planking
Planking is a great exercise to strengthen your core. To do it, support your forearms firmly on the ground. Make sure that your elbows are right under your shoulders. Keep your hips at the same level as your head. Your back should not be sinking or too high up. To know you are doing it right, your whole body should be in one straight line. Hold this pose for 20–30 seconds (or more, if possible). Rest for 30–60 seconds then repeat up to 5 times.
This is a great exercise to strengthen your core, arms, and upper back muscles.
Supermans
Lie on your belly with your arms bent. Touch your fingertips to the back of your head. Lift your upper body in this position then lower the body down. Do this exercise around 15 times or more for each round. Rest for 30 seconds then repeat this 5 times or more. This is a great exercise to strengthen and tone the back muscles.
Squats
Squats are a great exercise to keep fit and healthy by toning your thighs.
To do this, place your feet at hip-width apart. The toes should point slightly outwards.
You can have your hands raised up, forward, or at the back of your neck. Next, bend your knees while keeping the heels grounded on the floor. Hold this pose for 30 to 60 seconds, or more if possible. You’ll feel the tension in your thighs, glutes, and calve muscles. This is a great way to tone these muscle areas.
Child’s Pose
Sit on a yoga mat or a soft surface with your knees on the ground. Then bring your hips to your heels by sitting on your heels. Bend forward and rest your belly on your thighs. Then stretch your arms to the front and let your forehead fall to the mat or ground.
Hold this post for 30 seconds or more while breathing deeply. You’ll feel a great stretch in your back and shoulders.
Walk
You might ask how we can add walking into our daily exercise routine when we are all stuck at home. Even in small spaces, we can add walking as part of our exercise each day. When you have a call, try standing and walking while taking the call.
If possible, go outside your house and walk around even if it’s just around your garden.
Even in small spaces, walking around or walking on the spot, can help you remain active. If you have a call, 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 1-meter or 6-feet distance from other people.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Aside from getting enough exercise, it’s also important to eat healthy in order to stay fit during the lockdown. Eating a balanced meal that contains enough protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables is essential.
The right diet helps boost recovery and also prevents any health complications or sicknesses. Aside from the physical benefits of a nutritious diet, it also helps maintain your mental health as well.
It may be tempting to just keep snacking on junk food or ordering take-out while in lockdown. But make sure to keep an eye on the food you put into your body.
Variety of Food
Whole foods are important for your health. Additionally, having enough fiber, vegetables and fruits will help keep your body healthy. For snacks, try some healthy smoothies or unsalted nuts.
Cut Back on Salt
When cooking your food at home, make sure to lessen the salt or use it sparingly. Additionally, it’s good to lessen your salt intake by cutting back on salty snacks.
Eat Moderate Amounts of Fat
Try replacing unhealthy fat with healthier options like olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. You can also trade in white meats like fish instead of red meat if you are a meat-eater. Beans, legumes, and nuts are also great sources of healthy fats, omegas, and proteins.
Limit sugar intake
One main factor in one’s sugar intake is coffee consumption. Try to limit your coffee to one a day or every other day if possible. Coffee, tea, and other sweet juices contain a lot of processed sugar which can be unhealthy for the body.
Instead of cakes, chocolate, or other sugary snacks, trade them in for smoothies or fruits instead.
Meditate
Meditation is a great way to help boost your mental health. It also helps calm anxiety and increases focus and productivity.
There are a lot of meditation apps you can try online or guided meditation videos on YouTube that are all for free. Calm is a good app for beginners with 10 min daily meditations.
Stop Smoking
If you are a smoker, one of the best things you can do for your body is to quit smoking. We hear again and again that smoking is dangerous for your health.
Remember, it’s never too late to quit smoking. The sooner you do it, the better.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
Aside from taking care of your physical health, it’s also important to maintain good mental health as well. Here are a few ways to look after your mental health:
- Stay connected with your friends and family (even just virtually).
- Practice deep breathing.
- Journal your thoughts down when things seem too overwhelming.
- Meditate.
- Make time for yourself.
- Talk to a friend or family member.
- Do a social media detox.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is your body’s way to recover. In order to prioritize your health and fitness during the lockdown, make sure you are getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night.
Additionally, it’s good to turn off any gadgets or devices one hour before bedtime in order to get a better night’s rest.
Keep Your Environment Clean
Make sure to keep your surroundings clean. This is one of the most important ways to prioritize your health and fitness during the lockdown. The virus spreads quickly, which is why continuously keeping your surroundings clean is key to avoiding the spread of the virus.
Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds. Use rubbing alcohol frequently especially when touching surfaces.
Additionally, having a clean and organized environment can help you feel calmer and more focused making working from home easier.
Final Note: Your Health and Fitness During the Lockdown Should Be Your Priority
Your health and well-being are more important now than ever. By prioritizing your health, fitness, and well-being during the lockdown, you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe during this pandemic.