It is a fact that our lifestyle has been disrupted drastically by the COVID 19 lockdown and our physical activities have dropped substantially. Many individuals are also suffering from weight gain during this time. This is because our social life has become restricted and we spend our time in our homes much more than before.
In spite of this, the lockdown has helped many individuals to improve their mental and physical well-being as well. It has become possible for most of them to give more attention to their family members. However, it is important for all of us to remain mentally and physically fit during this time. Here, we have mentioned some important guidelines on how to remain fit during the coronavirus lockdown.
Consume a healthy and balanced diet
It is important to boost our immune system so that it is able to combat COVID 19 successfully. And, the good thing is that a healthy and balanced diet will help us to do so. Make sure to include plenty of vegetables and fruits, whole grain, healthy fats, as well as healthy protein in your everyday diet. Moreover, make sure to stay hydrated during the day and refrain from taking an excessive amount of caffeine from black tea or coffee. Instead, try to opt for herbal tea like chamomile tea for improving your sleep and peppermint tea for improving your digestion.
Remain active
Even though some fitness centers have opened once again, some individuals are nevertheless hesitant to visit them. You’ll come across plenty of safe alternatives for remaining physically active during this time without violating the rules such as social distancing and staying away from large crowds.
It will be possible to perform aerobics at your own residence. Sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, and so on will be a fantastic way to remain fit when you are not visiting the gym. Other ideas consist of the following:
- Dance to your preferred music.
- Walk around the house briskly or go up and down the staircase for at least 15 minutes twice or thrice every day.
- Follow YouTube to join a live workout session.
Figure out some ways for performing muscle-strengthening workouts around your residence such as:
- Push-ups against the floor or the wall
- Sit-to-stands or squats from a chair
- Lunges on stairs
It is not imperative to avoid nature while avoiding the crowd. It will definitely be a sensible idea to go for a stroll in any uncrowded area outside your residence at this time.
- Go for biking
- Perform some gardening in the backyard along with some lawn work
- Walk around the neighborhood while maintaining the recommended social distancing
Practice mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness and focusing on the present moment is also recommended during the lockdown. This will help you significantly to overcome stress, loneliness, sadness, and anxiety during this period. However, it is not imperative for practicing mindfulness in a complicated manner. It will be possible to incorporate mindfulness into virtually everything done by you. For example, take your time to consume your meals without getting distracted, and enjoy your food while sitting down properly.
You will also be benefited to a great extent by practicing mindful breathing. Make sure to breathe gently and this will help to calm your nervous system while cultivating a feeling of inner peace. Here, we want to inform you that you tend to breathe somewhat faster while you become nervous. Make sure to slow down your breathing while counting your breath from 1 to 5 for calming your mind.
Practicing mindful thinking will also help you to tackle your negative feelings. When you are suffering from uncontrollable emotions, it will be a good idea to acknowledge them without reacting. Make it a point to express your feelings by means of painting, journaling, or talking to your friends in case you require assistance.
Remain connected
During this lockdown, invest some time for reconnecting with your near and dear ones on a regular basis. There are ways to learn how to make use of this technology for connecting with your friends and other known people. You will come across several apps on the market such as Skype or Zoom which will enable you to virtually call anyone and interact with them at your convenient time during the day. In case you are using Facebook, make sure to play games with your buddies or chat with them with the help of Messenger. It will also be a sensible idea to write letters to your close friends with whom you have not connected for a long time.
Get adequate slumber
According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), our sleep is modified to a great extent by our immune system which also affects the defense mechanism of our system significantly. Although the amount of slumber required for maintaining good health is going to depend on the particular individual, it has been recommended by the experts to get at least seven hours of sleep every night for any adult human being whose age is between 18 and 60 years.
Always entertain yourself
It is extremely important to keep yourself entertained and busy during the lockdown. Make sure to listen to your favorite music, watch some interesting shows on Netflix, play online puzzles, subscribe to tutorials on YouTube, and learn a new skill during this time. Apart from this, there are also other activities that you can indulge in for keeping yourself entertained and amused.
Cope with anxiety and stress
It is of prime importance to cope with anxiety and stress during this time which can be induced by the precautions that we are taking for combating the spread of the virus in our communities. In order to deal with anxiety and stress, it would be prudent to work out regularly and also meditate and read whenever possible during your free time. Make use of the time for increasing your everyday repetition of these healthy and positive activities and you can also develop new routines as well if you like.
Taking all these above-mentioned steps will definitely help you to improve your overall wellness and health. Make sure to spend your days during this lockdown in such a way that you can make the best use of your time.
