Have you noticed that the COVID-19 lockdown is taking a toll on your health and fitness? With the gym closed and pilates and soccer training cancelled, weekly exercise has become a thing of the past for many people.
However, the truth is, being at home doesn’t have to mean being stuck on the couch doing absolutely nothing. Take control of your fitness and adopt a healthier lockdown approach. Here are some tips to help you get started.
- Maintain a balanced diet
While ordering comfort food every day is enticing, it’s important to stay health conscious during lockdown. Your body needs a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
With so many cooking tutorials available online, it’s worth dusting off your best cookware sets and making your own healthy meals at home.
Stick to set eating times so as to not upset the routine that your tummy has become accustomed to.
- Keep busy the right way
An idle mind breeds all sorts of destructive thoughts. While sitting on the sofa and binge-watching your favorite shows can be relaxing, too much of it will leave you feeling empty and lethargic. Couch potato time should never come at the expense of your mental and physical health. Productivity is also necessary for those fortunate enough to be able to work from home, but no boss expects you to sit at your computer all day with no breaks in sight.
Movement is necessary to keep your blood flowing and to prevent fatigue. Take a walk around the house, busy yourself in household chores, do lunges in front of the television set, or even just walk up and down your stairs.
Move around the house – from the lounge to the bedroom and from the bedroom to the balcony. Get a change of scenery by taking a walk around your neighbourhood. This can do wonders for your mindset.
- Cultivate a routine
One damaging aspect of the lockdown is that it has left many of us stuck at home without a routine. As monotonous as life may have seemed prior to the lockdown, a routine is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle.
Eating at awkward times and sleeping for too long can upset your mindset. To combat this, draw up lists and stick to plans. Schedule some time for leisure and physical activity. A routine can go a long way towards helping you maintain some semblance of sanity during this unusual time.
- Keep running forward
We’re all longing for the way things used to be. However, there’s no point pining for the past. Go for runs as much as you can to stay fit (while keeping a safe distance from others).
Running can get the creative juices flowing and help you come up with fresh ideas on how to organise your life.
- Keep up with trends
Sign up for an online workout or belly dancing class. Order a skipping rope online and boost your stamina while learning fun tricks. If everyone else is reading an emotionally uplifting book, use your spare time to join in the fun! Join a Yoga Zoom class with your friends. Keep your mind and body on the ball.
- Keep safe and clean
You may not be having any visitors pop around, but cleanliness is still important. Shower regularly and wear nice yet comfy clothes. Looking good means feeling good, and if you feel good then you’re more likely to make healthy decisions.
Here’s to keeping fit, healthy, and calm during the lockdown! It doesn’t take much – just a shift in mindset and a commitment to do your best.
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