Staying at home in self-quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic can cause additional stress. It can also pose significant challenges to being physically active. Below are some strategies you can apply to help you maintain both physical and mental health.
Home workouts
Workouts will help you stay active even at this time where socializing areas like gums and pubs are closed. There are typical fitness workouts you can do in your apartment. Even better, you can find many workout apps on your phone to make it easier for you to get results. If you are a fitness junkie, you can use this time also to perfect your form or learn how certain workouts effect certain muscle groups on apps like the 30 day fitness app. For example, read about chin ups vs pull ups or other specific workouts are all available.
Healthy eating
At this time of lockdown, we are prone to stress which could trigger stress-related eating. We are also so much closer to the fridge than when we are working outside the home. However, this is also an opportunity to develop healthier eating habits. How do you do this?
- Reduce overeating by creating an eating pattern with at least three hours of a break before snacking.
- Limit your intake of highly processed foods.
- Consider portioning your snacks.
- Stay hydrated by drinking enough water daily.
- Eat more fruit and vegetables to boost your immune system.
Sit out in the sun for at least 15 minutes a day
Exposure to the sun will help to increase Vitamin D reserves in your body. There are several ways you can bask in the sun without having to risk exposure to the virus. You can sit on your balcony, in your backyard or even on your front step.
Manage your living space
The coronavirus pandemic has essentially created a new world order of working from home. In some apartments, it can be nearly impossible to designate a working area and a separate downtime space.
Manage your space so you can create a working environment. What do you do? Change to ‘work clothes’ and play work-concentration music before setting your workplace. When transitioning to downtime, change to ‘home clothes’ and, if possible, change the lighting in the room and change the music.
Use your in-home “hydrothermal equipment” to alleviate stress
A hot shower/ bath has therapeutic benefits. Showers help to ease muscle tension, thereby relieving stress. Additionally, the steam from a hot shower helps to improve blood circulation, which then helps muscle tissue to regenerate faster.
To maximize your health and safety, these are the steps you can take. Add a hand washing routine to the above strategies to increase your chances not catching the coronavirus. To win this war, we have to be mentally and physically fit!
You may also be interested in these other healthy tips and advice
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