How To Stay Healthy During Lockdown – Pandemic Series…

28/04/2020
stay-healthy-during-covid19

Staying healthy during the Coronavirus pandemic is a subject spoken about a lot.
Since a lot of us are now furloughed or not working/working from home, it’s easy to slip into doing nothing to help our bodies and minds.

Even if you aren’t someone who enjoys exercise or eating a super clean diet, this post will provide you with information that will help you.

I have decided to call the following posts about this current time the ‘Pandemic Series’. Since it is all I am talking about, thinking about and writing. Maybe in a few years to come, we can look back on these posts and remember these extremely weird times we have been through.

Also, if you are reading this, do not panic or feel any kind of bad way if you aren’t doing any of the following…
Do what makes you feel calm and less anxious during this stressful time! This post also contains ideas to help with your mind too, not just your body.

Photo by Austin Kehmeier on Unsplash
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Why Being Healthy Is Important…

It is important to stay healthy especially during this time so that in the unfortunate events you do catch the virus, yourself and your body will be able to fight it off easier.

(I am not a doctor BUT having a good immune system will be to your advantage.)

Luckily though, here in the UK, we have the amazing NHS who are working super hard at fighting this virus. This post isn’t going to contain any facts about the current COVIV-19 situation… Just tips and ideas on how to stay healthy.

Lets just get into it…

I have a Pinterest board specifically for Health and Wellness here:

Lockdown Life – Looking After Your Body

First of all, lets just address the fact that we are all finding it hard to be motivated and find things to do during lockdown…

Here are a dew things that can help make sure your body is healthy and youre doing some of the right things to keep yourself moving.

Daily Life

First, you need to assess your daily life, right now.

Before making any changes, see what needs changing. You might be doing just fine but feeling bad about it, or you might be lying in bed every day playing animal crossing (I can speak from experience).

  • What do you do each hour of the day?
    So, you don’t need to schedule every hour of your day. The ‘good’ thing about lockdown is that we are learning how to slow down our living.
    We don’t need to be non stop. Having time to actually do nothing is a good thing. But, having scheduled time to do the things you need and want to get done is what will help your productivity and your mind.
  • What kind of exercise do you want to do?
    Want is the keyword here. Don’t start forcing yourself to do something you aren’t going to enjoy. You need to look forward to the activity in order to actually gain something from it.
  • Think about diet/meals can you make with what you have.
    Food is a big deal right now. With loads of random items disappearing off the shelves for weeks, sometimes it’s hard to come up with a meal plan. Also with only shopping once or twice a week, you might run out of options, or ideas.
    The best and the easiest thing to do is to not snack on unhealthy foods, as tempting as it is. Yes, I have sat and ate a whole easter egg, and biscuits, and cheese…
    Have your three meals a day, and drink lots of fluids.
  • Are you drinking enough water?
    Following from the last point… We have all been told that staying hydrated is in our benefit if we do happen to get ill. It’s also just good to stay hydrated anyway! So drink lots of water, try to always have a drink by your side
  • What time do you go to sleep and wake up?
    The temptation to stay in bed when you haven’t got anywhere to go is REAL. However, you aren’t doing yourself any favours.
    We all know it feels rubbish to realise is 3 pm and you haven’t even showered yet. SO in order to avoid this self-pity, set a time to get out of bed, and in bed.
  • Do you have any physical or mental goals you want to achieve by the time lockdown is over?
    Having goals will motivate you to do something.
    If you want to improve your house building on the sims, then do that (sounds tempting to me).
    If you want to write a book, then start.
    Or maybe you have fitness goals; wanting to lift a heavier weight, or run further, faster. All goals are good, as long as you feel happy pursuing them.

Food

Here is a little list of ideas to hopefully inspire you to eat healthily.
(Its best to have a search on Pinterest for meal ideas, I wouldn’t say I have the widest range of meals.)

Also, make sure you are staying hydrated *again*!
Drink lots of water (not too much alcohol on your family Facetime…)

  • Breakfast – Fruit and yoghurt/Poached eggs/Porridge.
    Have a breakfast that makes you feel full and energised. Drink a vitamin C in the morning too! Feeling full in the morning will help you make it through until lunch without feeling the need to snack.
  • Lunch – Tortilla wrap pizza (low-fat cheese)/Tuna wrap or salad/Pesto pasta.
    Again, have a good-sized lunch, one that’s fresh and fills you up. Making lunch from scratch with fresh ingredients not only gives you something to do but its healthier as well. Better than a Mcdonalds we can have anyway!
  • Dinner – Seasoned chicken with rice and veggies/Stir fry/Pasta with whatever you can find!
    See what you have and make it into a decent-sized meal, don’t overindulge! Have a tasty meal that will satisfy your tastebuds and not tempt you to eat something sweet afterwards. (I ALWAYS want chocolate after eating…)
    An easy dinner could be some meat (or substitute), vegetables and rice, or potatoes.

Exercise

Staying active is important for our bodies and our health. Of you have gone from an active everyday life at work, to having to stay indoors, you will certainly feel the effect.
Of course, we cannot go to the gym, or share spaces with other people. So figure out how you can keep your body moving during lockdown!

Not only is exericse good for your body, your mind will feel better too. Even going for a walk each day will help your brain feel better.

  • Get your steps in!
    You are allowed to go for a walk or run outside.
    If you are not leaving the house, then just try to move around as often as possible, walk up and down the stairs or around the garden… Walk your dog if you have one!
  • Yoga –
    Use the daily yoga app or follow Yoga with Adrienne’s tutorials on youtube!
    Yoga is a good way to get your blood flowing and your body stretched. It isn’t too intense either, so most people should be able to do this without hating it.
  • Pinterest Challenges –
    Taking part in a challenge is a fun way to exercise, and feel like you’re achieving something. Start a challenge online with your friends and have fun with it. You can find challenges on Pinterest; for example – the 30 day Ab challenge, or the plank challenge.
  • Bike ride –
    Now, this is a touchy one since a lot of people think that it is alright to go out on your bike and meet your friends. NO, you are defeating the object and ruining what we are all working hard to do. You must remember to stay with the people you live with, and socially distance from others. SO, if you are going on a bike ride, go alone or with your household.
  • Create your own gym in the garden or finally use that gym in your garden if you have one.
    A lot of people on youtube have been sharing how to make gym equipment from stuff you may have at home, or show you how to create your own gym. Creating weights, or other things you may use will not only be fun, but you can carry on with your gym routines as ‘normal’ as you can.
how-to-be-healthy-during-lockdown

Looking After Your Mind

Looking after your mind is just as important as looking after your body. Healthy mind = healthy life.

Your mental health during this time is more important than anything else. Not being able to continue with your usual routine is extremely hard and stressful…
I am currently writing a more in-depth post about dealing with your anxiety so stay tuned.

For now, here is a list of things to help.

  • Do the best you can.
    Don’t stress that you have not moved all day, or you missed breakfast. Just do the best you can.
  • Journal your feelings and experiences.
    Writing down how you are feeling will help express emotions trapped inside. I have written a post here about gratitude journaling which can help with negative thoughts.
  • Listen to calming music.
    Take a moment to sit and listen to sounds that will soothe you. There are tons of apps that will play nature sounds, and lots of people have created playlists on youtube.
  • Take naps! Have a nap if it’s all feeling too much.
    I would never usually suggest such a thing. However, if you need fifteen minutes to recharge, then just do it.
  • Read that pile of books on your shelf… Just start.
    I am so guilty of this. If you have loads of books you keep meaning to read, zone out for an hour or so each day and start reading them.
  • Avoid the news
    You don’t need to keep watching it, as long as you follow the rules in place. The news can make you feel more stressed and anxious. Just know what you need to know, then stay in your little bubble at home.

I have already written a bigger post about the things you can do here – THINGS TO DO DURING LOCKDOWN

THANK YOU once again, for reading my posts.
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  • Reply
    Holly’s Theatre Thoughts
    18/05/2020 at 4:19 PM

    These are some really great tips – thank you for sharing! I’ve really been enjoying home workouts during lockdown & find they’re a good way to stay active and keep the body moving x

    • Reply
      Charlotte Dawson
      19/05/2020 at 10:46 AM

      Thank you for your comment! Keeping moving is important, I’ve been trying to work out most days of the week too! x

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