Healthy tips during Shelter in Place wouldn’t be complete without a discussion about exercising. With the temporary closure/altered hours of non-essential businesses, you’ve probably found that local gyms, YMCA’s, and other fitness centers are closed. This doesn’t give you a good excuse to stop exercising though! As we’re nearly 3 weeks into this pandemic and with no assured ending, it’s imperative to begin/continue with an exercise routine while social distancing.
A sedentary lifestyle has several negative health impacts and can lead to unhealthy eating and mental disengagement. Physical activity positively impacts and decreases our stress (which can be heightened during social isolation and lack of outlets away from family members). Physical activity also maintains mental health and well-being, as well as physical health. Regular exercisers experience a lowering of high cholesterol and blood pressure, blood sugar regulation, weight control, bone strengthening, healthy arteries, and more.
Aim for a minimum of 2.5 hours of moderate intensity exercise per week. This equates to 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days per week. Of course, your body doesn’t mind at all if you do more! Check out these suggestions for getting in those 30 minutes during self-quarantine:
Take active breaks throughout the day. This can be three 10 minute breaks, two 15 minute breaks, or any combination that suits your schedule. Short bouts of exercise will add up to your target goal per day. Some examples of breaks would be household chores like yardwork, cleaning, or gardening. Playing with children or pets, and even dancing in the living room, are great ways to burst into action.
Follow an online exercise class. There is a plethora of online classes out there, some even as simple as following an exercise YouTube channel (no subscription or payment required!). Make sure the level of difficulty matches your abilities, balance, and strength. We don’t want any injuries!
Walk. This can be walking outside, along a trail or around the neighborhood. To increase your heartrate, aim for walking one mile in 20 minutes. This would be 3 miles per hour and considered a moderate pace. Alternatively, simply walking around the house during the day will still provide benefit even if it’s not at a moderate pace. Try walking around the house as you’re talking on the phone or while listening to an audiobook.
Stand up. Look for ways to replace usual sitting activities with standing. Rig up a standing desk or be intentional about standing up every 30 minutes. While you’re up there, you can do some simple stretching or weight lifting (we won’t mind ????).
Lift weights. If you have hand weights, stretch bands, soup cans, water bottles (or jugs), or even sacks of dried beans, you’re in good shape to begin a simple weight lifting regimen. Be sure to lift the right amount of weight that will give you a light sweat and increase your heartrate. You also want to feel a muscle burn (but without pulling a muscle).
Incorporating these suggestions into your day will help you reach the goal of 2.5 hours per week of physical activity. Your stress levels, mental health, and physical health will collectively benefit from doing so. Plus, you’ll be able to leave self-quarantine in better shape than when you went in!