How to stay fit and active at home during the coronavirus self-isolation

How to stay fit and active at home during the coronavirus self-isolation

• By Staff Writer

How to stay fit and active at home during the coronavirus self-isolation

Self-isolation means far fewer opportunities to be physically active if you are used to walking or cycling for transportation and doing leisure-time sports.

But equally worryingly, the home environment also offers abundant opportunities to be sedentary (sitting or reclining).

While self-isolation measures are necessary, our bodies and minds still need exercise to function well, prevent weight gain and keep the spirits up during these challenging times.

Exercise can help keep our immune system become strong, less susceptible to infections and their most severe consequences, and better able to recover from them.

Even before the restrictive conditions were announced, physical inactivity cost 5.3 million lives a year globally.

So we should consider ways to limit the effects of impact of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as its wider impact of contributing to the long-term chronic disease crisis.

How much physical activity?

Global recommendations are for all adults to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, as well as muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week.

Any activity is better than none, and more activity provides more physical and mental health benefits.

Sitting, standing, and movement

Take regular breaks from continuous sitting in front of your computer, tablet, or smartphone every 20 to 30 minutes.

Make stairs your best friend

Using the stairs is an extremely time-efficient way to maintain fitness. As little as three 20-second fast stair climbs a day can improve fitness in only six weeks.

Use your own bodyweight

A 2017 British study found home-based strength exercises that utilize your own body weight – such as press-ups, sit-ups, and planks – are as important for health as aerobic exercise.

Dance the COVID-19 blues away!

An increasing number of live concerts are streamed online. Use the stress-releasing magic of music and dance at home like nobody’s watching (which is not unlikely).

Give them the playtime they’ve always wanted

Social distancing is a good opportunity to bond more with the little two and four-legged members of your family through active play. Both children and dogs will love you replacing some of your online media and sitting time with playing in and around the house with them.

No matter how young or how old your children are, there are many fun activities you can do together indoors and in the garden.

Just do something!

The end goal during self-isolation is to prevent long-term physical and mental health damage by sitting less, moving as often as possible, and aiming to maintain fitness by huffing and puffing a few times a day.