If you have to go into self-isolation, or have nothing to do because of social distancing, one of the most important things you need to do is to preserve a sense of normalcy. Preserving your routine and doing what you normally do will help preserve your mental health, and that would most likely reflect in the state of your physical health. For example, if you jog often, and can no longer do that because you're in quarantine or isolation, you can get a desk bike to keep your body in great shape. Its win-win.
When you're confined at home, one of the most important things for you to avoid, as much as you can, is being stationary. Movement is necessary, and even though it's easy to fall into the temptation of staying asleep all day, you have to keep some agility in your bones. Importantly, you do not need expensive pieces of equipment or a huge amount of money to do this. All you need is to create a routine and find a way to weave exercising into that routine.
See, easy. You probably wouldn't even notice at all.
So how much exercise exactly should you be having? The American Heart Association has an answer. Ideally, you should spend about 150 minutes of your week on moderate or intense aerobic activity, or about 75 minutes per week on vigorous aerobic activity. You could also do a combination of the two, and you should make sure to spread it out through the week.
How can you accomplish this? Well, there are several ways to stay active even in self-isolation, but today we'll be looking at three specific ways to get things done.
Tiny Movements, Tiny Moments
The best opportunity to get moving is when involved in seemingly mundane activities. Why watch TV for two hours seated in the same position, when you can as well be stretching for a few minutes during the show?
While washing dishes, you can do heel raises and while throwing clothes in the dryer, you can do side lunges. If you have to work from home, you could invest in a desk bike. With that, you'd be effectively killing two birds with one stone. You'd be able to get your work done and do some exercises on the side.
You could also try dancing if you roll that way.
Improvise A Lot
Even without proper weights, you can still have something to lift. Cans of food, plates, laptops, etc. are all things you can try to regularly lift.
You could also come up with games that require a lot of physical work. Skipping, for example, is a decent example of such a game.
Get Out And Walk
Self Isolation doesn't mean that you can't leave the house. You can take a walk, take a jog, and just try to avoid other people. You should also make sure not to take too long outside. Jogging for a few minutes will definitely restore some agility to your bones.
Get Stretching, Stretchy
Stretching is important because it helps people maintain flexibility, and if there's one thing you should want, that’s it. You should try stretching about two to four times a week, and you should hold each position for about thirty seconds.
Get Your Heart Beating
One word. Stairs.
Going up and down your stairs, if you have one, can be your cardiovascular lifeline. It will get your blood pumping and will actually help you in maintaining a healthy heart. If you can, try to make sure your chores necessitate that you go up and down the stairs several times a day. Try to make more than one trip up the stairs if you have to, and you would have seamlessly worked an exercise into your routine.
Breathe.
Anxiety is real, so if you feel like you're going into a panic attack, make sure to breathe in deeply. Here's a technique that will make breathing easier.
Lie on your back, and put your hands in your abdominal region. When breathing in, make sure that your belly rises, and when breathing out make sure that your belly falls. In that position, make sure to take ten breaths.
Now, for the last tip. If you're working from home, or if you're not, you should remember to follow personal hygiene advice. Disinfect where you work, wash your hands properly, and make sure to avoid touching your face. An easy way to make sure your work area is properly disinfected is to get a workstation like the MonitorStand Workstation that sterilizes your entire work area in ten minutes or less and also helps to enhance your focus. These two deliverables of the MonitorStand workstation are a very important lifeline if you must work from home in the most efficient way.
