Fitness without a Gym: One-Stop Guide to Being Healthy Amidst Pandemic

2020 has, since its inception, been a testing time for all of us. Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, almost all the countries across the globe are facing lockdowns. Even when the official lockdown ends, going back to normalcy will certainly be difficult.

Amidst all these, one cannot really stress more on the importance of staying fit and healthy. 

Being active doesn’t just mean working out. It also comprises of many other aspects of fitness – such as building your immunity system –that is as important as working out. 

Let’s look at some easy but effective ways you can maintain your health this lockdown –

Stay Active, Stay Healthy 

Being active has always been the key to good health and fitness in general. When we say being active, we don’t really mean the limited time exercise schedule that you probably follow on a regular basis.

Rather, we mean walking around the house whenever possible and sharing the household chores with your partner, parents, or your roommates. 

Doing household chores has often been associated with lesser chances of heart attacks and other lifestyle diseases. 

So, being active during quarantine is always recommended.

Also Read- 7 Best Ways Women Professionals Can Stay Healthy at Work

Exercise Has No Alternative

A dedicated time for exercising is absolutely mandatory if you want to lead a healthy and fit life during the quarantine. 

While being active is definitely recommended, exercises engage not only numerous distinctive parts of the body but also elevate your heart-rate. 

Most exercises require engaging your core and modulate your breathing pattern, which helps you gain a strong body and stronger immune system. 

You don’t necessarily have to devote one hour to exercise while in quarantine. Just 15-30 minutes of mindful exercise along with being active can do wonders for your body.

If you’re wondering about the exercises to follow, let’s help you with that: plank hold for 1 minute, crunches, lunges, wide-legged or sumo squats, and simple weight training at home are good to go. 

And if you don’t have weights, don’t worry! Swap the dumbbells with filled-in water bottles and heavy books. We promise you won’t regret your decision.

Watch What You Eat

If you’re ordering in every day or are completely on instant noodles, please stop it immediately.

We understand this lockdown is hard for all of us but all the body needs right now is simple food packed with nutrients. 

This is the time to go back to basics – pack in good fat, protein, and good carbohydrates in your diet. 

Try and have a green smoothie every day with a pinch of turmeric, which helps in building your immunity system. 

And, instead of ending your day with wine or scotch, just for the time being, end it with turmeric latte – a drink loaded with antioxidants that have been proven beneficial for boosting your immunity as well as improving your sleep.

Don’t Compromise On Your Mental Health

Mental health can go haywire during pandemics. 

Apart from the never-ending personal and professional dilemmas, there’s another unknown fear of contracting the virus that is really paralyzing our mental health, triggering unwanted anxiety in most people. 

The best way to address this issue is to meditate or simply engage in deep breathing exercises for 15 minutes on a daily basis. 

If you’ve never meditated before, you could just start with 5 minutes daily at a specific time. 

Apart from this, watch, listen to, and do things that you enjoy doing. If the news terrifies you, just read the major headlines for 10-15 minutes daily and do not stretch beyond it. 

Final Words 

In this testing time, don’t forget to love yourself, and be kind to your mind and body. Don’t fret about eating that extra piece of cake if you feel good about it. Not just you, but try to be kind to your family members and/or roommates. This pandemic too shall pass.