7 Ways You Can Keep Moving During Quarantine
From our businesses to our career and social lives, COVID-19 has changed the way we live. Lockdowns, curfews, self-quarantine and isolation are the order of the day.
With medical researchers spending sleepless nights trying to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, we can only be hopeful that things will get back to normal soon. However, many critics and analysts suggest that the situation is still a bit far from getting better, and the best everyone can do is to stay safe, observe proper hygiene, stay at home if they can, avoid public gatherings, and observe the other safety guidelines provided by the WHO regarding preventing the spread of COVID.
With many businesses and companies still yet to reopen, people are spending more time at home in self-isolation and self-quarantine. This means that your movement is limited and it’s very easy to feel as if you’re about to lose your mind.
In addition to your physical health, a sedentary lifestyle can have a huge impact on mental and emotional health. Most importantly, staying active can help boost your immunity, which is very crucial as far as COVID-19 infections are concerned.
Needless to emphasize the importance of activity any further, here are seven ways you can keep moving during the quarantine period.
1. Exercise from home
Exercising should be a part of your daily activities, and it can be done by anyone and anywhere, even in the comfort of your home. There are dozens of exercises you can do from home, even without weights or gym equipment. Taking just 30 minutes to walk every day can help reduce excess body fat, increase cardiovascular fitness, boost muscle power, and reduce the risk of some lifestyle diseases like cancer and diabetes among others.
During this quarantine period, create a program where you can have some days for walks, jogging or yoga. Don’t just sit on the couch watching television or lying in bed. Engage in physical activities like rope-skipping, squats, pushups or weight lifting, depending on what you find most interesting. Increasing your activity levels will help in improving your health tremendously.
For the best results from your workouts, you will, however, want to ensure you have the right workout clothes. For ladies, if you choose to indulge in yoga, this means finding the right bra, along with one or a few pairs of yoga pants, tops and shoes. It’s all going for something supportive that feels comfortable. You may also need accessories like a yoga mat for added comfort during your stretching and meditation sessions.
2. Organize your home
When was the last time you gave your house some thorough, generous cleaning and tidying? Well, out of our busy schedule, most of us hardly get any time to do it, and we end up designating the house chores to the house managers.
During this quarantine period, it will pay to give your house a thorough general cleaning. Neatly arrange those disorganized clothes in your closet, vacuum clean your carpets, clean the curtains and sheers, and so forth. Check your pantry to see which food items or groceries have gone bad and clean up everything. Remove any messy debris in the lawn, clear any dry leaves, weed your flower gardens, uproot the old overgrown flowers, and plant new ones.
You will realize that it is so much you can do at your home in a day, so take advantage of this quarantine period as it will also benefit your fitness.
3. Pet walk
A breath of fresh air every day will do you. Enjoy the early sunshine and get some cool breeze under the trees in your neighborhood or backyard. Take your pet with you and stroll for a few hours around your neighborhood. Do not forget to observe some social distancing while at it.
4. Love the kitchen
If cooking is one of your favorite hobbies, then you got more than enough time to try out some cooking techniques and recipes you’ve never tried before. For ideas, you can visit the many food sites on the internet like Food Network, and you will be spoilt for choice. After all, you’ll have something delicious and healthy meals to enjoy with your family.
5. Play around
If you have kids, then playing sessions with them will not only help improve your bond, but it will also help you guys keep fit as a family. Play some hide and seek in the house or in the backyard. There are so many games you can play with the kids without even spending money. It’s so much fun.
6. Engage in your favorite hobbies
If you’re an avid book reader, then this can be the best time to catch up on some of those chapters you missed. You can also dedicate your new free time to music and learn how to play different musical instruments that you always wanted to play. You can play some piano, violin, guitar or any other instrument from the comfort of your home.
7. Try out anything and everything
Instead of lying idle in the house feeling lonely and pilling your mind with fears, use your free time to learn new skills, and connect with what makes you happy. Just experiment! Take your old shirt or dress, table cloth, and some fabric dye, and do some tie and dye. It will turn out fabulous. Just have some fun!
Even if, for a good reason, we are spending too much time indoors in this pandemic period, the experience can be overwhelming and unhealthy if you don’t stay active. The above are just a few ways you can keep moving while in self-quarantine.
