How to Avoid a Sedentary Lifestyle While In Quarantine
The coronavirus pandemic has forced almost the entire world to stay inside
their homes. There are a number of countries that are under complete or partial
lockdown right now, and in numerous other places, most people have been advised
to self-isolate themselves inside their homes to avoid being infected by this
deadly virus.
Being quarantined at home is not just boring, but also brings with it many
health risks. Working from home or being stranded there for a long period can
lead to a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle. Therefore, we must be mindful of
trying to avoid being inactive and do our best to perform as many physical
activities from home as we can. Here are some tips that might help.
1. Take a walk inside your home
Walking is one of the best forms of exercise. Since going outside right now
is risky, it is important to keep your body moving. You can do so by walking
inside your home for at least 30 minutes every day. There is sufficient
research out there showing the benefits of walking daily. A study in 2011
stated that a half an hour walk every day can lower the risk of sudden cardiac
death.
Another report in 2015 mentioned that three five-minute walks throughout
the workday can reverse the harm caused to your peripheral arteries in the legs
by extended hours of sitting in one position.
Thus, don’t take walking lightly, even if you are stranded at home. Make
use of your home space (your balcony or terrace would be ideal for this) and
try and walk in between breaks for at least 30-40 minutes every day.
2. Take the stairs
If you get bored of walking or feel that it isn’t enough for you while in
quarantine, then you can consider climbing up and down the stairs. A 2017 study
found that stair climbing burns more calories per minute than jogging. It is a
potent and intensive physical activity that can help you maintain a balanced
weight while also building your bones, joints, and muscles. Don’t overdo it,
though. Just ensure that you take out time for stair climbing at least twice a
day for a minimum of 15-20 minutes.
3. Stand up every 20 minutes
If you are one of the many who are working from home right now and your job
requires you to sit for long periods, then you must ensure that you stand up
once in at least every 20 minutes. Sitting for long periods on your workstation
is not good for your legs, and to keep the blood moving in your body, you have
to make it a point to take a break from work and stand up.
Now, there will be many who will be so involved in their work that they
will lose track of time. Thus, it is best to set up a timer or set a reminder
using your calendar or phone.
4. Take a water break every 30 minutes
Staying locked inside and working from home can often lead to laziness. To
counter this, a simple measure like drinking water regularly can make a big
difference.
Many of us undermine the value of drinking water regularly throughout the
day. Drinking water every 30 minutes throughout the day will not just keep you
hydrated, but it will also boost your activity and energy. The best way to do
this is to keep a water bottle beside your work desk and set up a timer for 30
minutes. The moment the bell rings, you will know that you have to drink water.
Once you have made it a habit of drinking water routinely, you will start
noticing a positive difference in your energy and focus.
5. Get a fitness tracker
Getting a fitness tracker would be a great idea right now. A pedometer,
especially, will help you keep track of the number of steps you take in a day
and let you analyze your physical activity. This is especially important when
you are isolated at home and tend to become less active. The fitness tracker
lets you know exactly how active you are and will push you to indulge in at
least some form of workout or physical exercise.
A good fitness tracker will also track calories in and out along with your
day-to-day activity level, and help you in setting fitness goals. There are
some trackers that even monitor your heart rate and sleep.
6. Invest in home-exercise equipment
Many of you who are stranded at home right now should consider investing in
some useful exercise equipment to keep yourself in shape and not become
completely inactive. Since most gyms are currently closed owing to the
coronavirus pandemic, you can get some simple home exercise equipment right
now. A treadmill or a stationary
exercise bike would be wonderful to keep your heart pumping and your body
toned. You can also get light barbells if you are into lifting weights.
For seniors, some of the best home exercise equipment would be a Stability
Ball that will be crucial for standing, balancing, and posture. A yoga mat
would also be neat, as it allows seniors to perform low-impact exercises either
on their feet, knees, or lying on the ground.
7. Plant a garden
This is the perfect time to invest in planting a garden if you don’t have
one already. Any gardener will tell you that gardening involves a lot of
physical effort. In fact, the American Heart Association considers general
gardening to be in the category of moderate-intensity physical activity. Not
only this, but gardening is also an invigorating exercise.
You can start with a small garden in your backyard. If you don’t have
enough space outside your house, you can even make a tiny garden in any corner
of your home as well. Sowing seeds, trimming and watering the plants, and
spending time with them every day, even for a short while, will be an enjoyable
way to stay active. It should also keep you in a positive frame of mind.
8. Don’t ignore your daily chores
Most of us who are quarantined at home right now have to take care of
household chores, whether we like it or not. Since even maids aren’t allowed to
leave their homes right now in several places, performing your daily chores is
unavoidable. Do remember, though, that even the basic chore like doing the
dishes and wiping down countertops will count as standing activities and will
help you avoid being inactive. Then there are other chores like sweeping the
floors, vacuuming and taking out the garbage which involves physical activity.
Also, make sure that you do some of your chores after eating. Performing
physical activities after eating tends to help lower blood sugar levels. Thus,
don’t ignore your daily housekeeping tasks. They might be very helpful in keeping
you away from a sedentary lifestyle.
9. Yoga can help, too
Not everyone understands the benefits of yoga, but it can be a really
useful tool in these times in many ways. Being quarantined in your home for a
long period can lead to undue stress as you won’t be able to venture out and we
don’t know when the situation will improve outside. Furthermore, for people who
are being forced to work from home right now, sitting on a chair for extended
periods of time might eventually lead them to gain weight for the lack of any
physical exertion. Following some simple yoga exercises will help in both these
regards.
Yoga helps calm the mind along with your senses while also stimulating your
body. Since it’s essentially a low impact activity and perfect to perform at
home, yoga is a prudent choice as a tool to get into an active lifestyle while
being quarantined. If you get used to it and feel its positive effects, it
might serve you well even after the quarantine period is over. Follow the yoga
techniques shown in the video below and try and incorporate at least some of
them into your daily life as you stay at home.
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