When it came to lockdown, many of us had our complete lives turned upside down. We stopped doing a lot of the things we loved, and we started doing things that for many of us weren’t healthy.
Whilst many of us are still in lockdown measures, we have been finding some freedoms to make life seem all the more “normal.” However, one of the things that have suffered the most has been our health. For many, not being able to go to the gym has been the biggest setback. For others, exercising outside of the gym during lockdown resulted in injury.
But there are things we can do whilst gyms are still closed or even when they reopen that we can do to help us keep healthy this strange time. Here are some tips to staying healthy during the lockdown.
1. Walking
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It may seem strange to say it but, you don’t need to run or cycle to stay healthy. Going for a walk has many positive benefits to our health both physical and mental. These include things like improving blood flow and circulation, losing weight (you can burn 200 calories over 30 minutes), strengthening your muscles, improving your sleep and mentally relaxing – these are just some amongst a whole range of benefits.
Walking is a popular cardiovascular exercise because of many reasons, and today we’re here to tell you all about it. First of all, walking doesn’t require any equipment, which means that anyone can do it, anywhere. For jogging, you still need a quality pair of shoes that are comfortable and meant specifically for that activity. For cycling, you need a solid bike that won’t let you down in the middle of the road, and the list goes on. For walking? Nothing more than goodwill and about half an hour of free time, or more if you’re very serious about burning some calories.
2. Eat well
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It’s been easier to order some takeaway or bake a lot during lockdown but, maintaining a good diet will help over a short and long period of time. Eating well means to vary your plate servings between vegetables, protein, carbohydrates and fats. A colorful plate is the easiest way to think about eating well rather than constant calorie counting. Think about fruits and vegetables, lean meats, natural animal fats and so on.
One of the best ways to make sure that you’re eating enough and healthy is by tracking calories. Not many people are familiar with these unless they been in a situation in the past where they had to lose or gain weight due to certain health conditions. Thankfully, we’re here to inform you.
Tracking calories is easy, especially if you use some of the latest technology that we have, meant to help every consumer. Numerous fitness and dieting apps are available for download in the app store, so you shouldn’t hold back to downloading any of those. A great recommendation is MyFitnessPal, an app that allows you to track each one of your meals, calories, macros, and your exercise progress as well. If you don’t like that one, there are tons of other ones as well.
Some people think that eating healthy means eating less, but that’s simply not true. When you cut off all the junk food and you start eating healthy, you’ll realize that you’re consuming a lot more food than you were previously. One coke for example has more calories than an entire kilogram of any salad, and we’re pretty sure that drinking one coke is far easier to do than eating so many veggies. Don’t be afraid to consume food, just make sure that you’re consuming the right type.
3. Drink Water
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Hydration is a key component of good health. Drinking lots of water will help you in many different ways. It improves our concentration and stops us from getting headaches and feeling lethargic which is what many people complain about working long hours in front of a computer.
There’s no life without water, and a person needs to drink at least two and a half liters of liquid per day, if not even more during the summer. Of course, this will vary depending on your body composition and how much you weigh, but overall, everyone should try to consume as much water as they can throughout their day. When we drink a lot of water, our skin becomes clearer, we have more energy, we feel that our mental clarity increases and most importantly we can sleep better, which is a very important health factor.
If you are someone who drank a lot of sodas and beverages in the past, and now you just cannot stand the “blank” taste of water, there’s a very neat trick that you can pull off to make it tastier. Add slices of lemon or any other fruit that you like inside the water, and that way you’re making it healthier and tastier at the same time. Pretty amazing stuff.
4. Have A Daily Routine
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One of the downsides to working from home or even being furloughed is that many people felt like some days dragged whilst others lasted a few hours. This is because we no longer had a set routine as laid out by the daily commute to and from work and having your day filled with work. So, how do you change this part of your life to stay healthy? Set a routine. If you’re working from home, keep to a daily diary and plan your day. If you’re furloughed, plan out your days or even weeks ahead to include things like going for a walk, finishing projects and so on. A routine will keep you mentally active and set you up for the day.
Being a healthy and a happy person is all about having a routine, but keep in mind that you cannot do a 360 degrees lifestyle change and expect it to last forever. If you are committed to becoming a healthier person, you should take things one step at a time, eventually building up your perfect routine.