Keeping yourself fit and healthy can be difficult in normal circumstances, so it’s going to be very tricky during the current Covid 19 restrictions. The best advice seems to be to keep it simple. Make sure you move more and eat lots of colourful fruit and veggies. Drink plenty of water and get quality sleep (about 8 hours is ideal). Dance and sing often!
Why is exercise important for your mental health?
We all know that exercise has many physical benefits, but it also stimulates chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that improve your mood and the parts of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
If you exercise regularly, it can reduce your stress and symptoms of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety and help with recovery from mental health issues. Plus, exercise helps you sleep better.
Sleeping well improves our wellbeing and helps us to be more alert, energetic, and better able to concentrate and perform tasks during the day. Getting enough sleep each day is one of the most important things you can do for your health and wellbeing and to reduce your risk for ill-health.
This is because during sleep we undergo many important functions that improve physical recovery as well as support learning, improving memory and mood.
So, even though you are practicing physical distancing, you can still go for a walk, walk the dog, play with the kids in the backyard or a local park as long as you keep you distance from other people.
You can always exercise at home too. Put on your favourite music and dance around the room with your family, or just by yourself. You will be surprised how good you feel after. If you are looking for some inspiration, there are plenty of opportunity online to dance, dance, dance!
A fun beginners dance workout at home can be found on the PsycheTruth channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR9td6t5mTc and a cute 80’s warm up by WE LOVE DANCE can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xewf0Ecyrfs
You could always just try to ‘Shake Your Tailfeather’ in Blues Brothers style – it’s surprising just how much cardio is involved in the actions of this short song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdbrIrFxas0
If you are feeling particularly fit and strong, you could try a 20 minute strong Zumba (be sure to give yourself plenty of room!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm4WZyH5p2I
You can always just google some more traditional exercise at home videos such as the series by Pamela Reif called no equipment which are easy to follow but quite challenging.
Another options is to go old-school with Aerobics Oz Style – just google this iconic breakfast television segment from the 80’s and early 90’s to get a good workout, along with some insights into the social culture of the time.
Risks of sitting too long
There will be a real risk to you and your family over the next few weeks of sitting too much, especially when watching television, phones or other screens. Research has found that this can be bad for your health and it has been linked to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. It also has been tied to an increased risk of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.
Many people will also underestimate the time they spend sitting in a day, so consider using an activity tracker on your phone, or better still, keep a diary. It is a good time to record the emotions and events you are experiencing, given this is something that has never happened before in quite this way. We are truly in unprecedented times and it might be good for you children or grandchildren to be able to read what is was like for you in many years to come.
Plus, the added benefit of writing gets you away from a screen and helps you to think creatively, which has additional benefits for your wellbeing.
Keep Moving
Its likely you and your family are spending more time than usual in front of screens and hopefully you will get to enjoy some movies and fun times together with family, but the downside of this is that our bodies weren’t designed to sit all day, or our necks to be looking down continuously.
You need to take some action with some simple exercises into your day. There are many options for yoga on Youtube, from beginners to advanced.
There are also a number of exercise options to combat ‘text neck’ the name given to the impact on your body from too much phone use. The following link provides 6 exercises, but you can find more by searching on line for exercises to reverse the impact of mobile phone use. https://www.inquirer.com/health/exercises-to-undo-damage-of-smartphone-use-20190211.html
You’ve Got This!
Try to keep some routine for you and your family, so make exercise time consistent if you can. Start the day with free online yoga, or get some cardio into your lunch break, learn a new language with Duo Lingo or try making meditation a standard part of your day.
Remember to wash you hands with soap and water and practice social distancing as much as you can. Stay safe but focus on keeping healthy and busy at home – its up to you now!
Affordable SA believes that your health and well-being is an important part of managing yourself through troubled times and financial hardship. Helping you to respond to the challenges that we all face today and the future. Check out the Well-Being and Healthcare section of the App and website to find more ways to look after yourself without breaking the budget.
If you're experiencing financial hardship ring the Affordable SA Helpline on 1800 025 539 or make an appointment to speak to a financial counsellor. They are free, independent, confidential and most of all there to help you.