An active lifestyle helps make one healthier physically and mentally. We all need to be in our best physical and mental condition during this time. After all, it would be unfair if we take our pets to dog training classes so that they can stay fit and healthy but neglect to do that for ourselves. We need to learn how to take better care of ourselves during this pandemic.
The Sedentary Lifestyle
One of America’s greater health problems is obesity. This condition leads to a lot of health issues and can trigger chronic diseases.
A major culprit in obesity is living a sedentary lifestyle. With the rise of corporate America also came a work system that placed folks inside cubicles or at their desks pushing pencils, typing on keyboards, and working on documents.
Unlike blue-collar jobs where brute force is required, white-collar jobs found Americans situated in comfortable office spaces with very minimal physical daily output.
The Benefits of Staying Physically Active despite the Pandemic
A physically active lifestyle has a lot of benefits. It is not just good for the body but it also does wonders for one’s mental health. Here are some of the benefits of exercise and physical activity:
- It helps one gain or lose weight, depending on one’s fitness goal.
- It builds and strengthens the immune system.
- It is great for mental and emotional health management.
- It increases the quality of sleep.
Clearly, being physically active works to our advantage regardless of whether we’re in a pandemic or not.
The Different Ways to Live a Healthy Lifestyle in all Seasons
Living healthily should never be just an option or a fad that we pick up. We need to take good care of our physical bodies because, as cliche as it may sound, we only get one in our entire lifetime. We were gifted with such an amazing tool to live and enjoy life but we’re also given the great responsibility of being good stewards of this gift.
According to the American Heart Association, the recommended amount of time that adults should spend on exercise and physical activity weekly is 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense physical activity.
Although gyms and fitness clubs aren’t still 100% operational because of the pandemic, there are still plenty of ways that you can have a physically active and healthy lifestyle. Here are some things you can easily do without going to the gym.
1. Regularly exercise with the family, including your pets!
Take this time of being home a lot to bond with your family. One of the best ways to bond as a family is to exercise and workout together. Dance in your living room, go for a bike ride, play backyard soccer, go out for a run with your dog — there are a ton of fun exercises you can do together.
2. Hit the outdoors.
The gym may be closed but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your workout on. Lace up and go for a run in the park. Take a few laps in the community pool. Walk around the block a few times. A little time under the sun can help improve your mood.
3. Take classes online.
If you believe that you need someone’s help you reach your fitness goals, you can always sign up for virtual classes. A lot of gyms and even personal trainers offer online classes to help their clients stay fit and healthy throughout the pandemic.
4. Or follow workout videos on the internet.
If you’re a bit strapped for cash and don’t have enough to pay for an online fitness coach, you can always go to YouTube, search for fitness videos, and follow along.
5. Set fitness goals.
If you want to build the habit of being physically active, you need to set goals for yourself. Otherwise, it might just end up as a fad or trend that you will eventually get bored with. You need to have something tangible that you can commit yourself to.
6. Incorporate some sort of physical activity at work.
Sometimes you can do some exercise while you’re at work. There are different ways of incorporating some sort of physical activity that you can do in your workplace, whether you work at an office or at home.
Living a healthier and more active lifestyle helps boost your immune system and improve your mental health. These are important considering the current global climate we’re in. But it should not end when the pandemic is over. It is something that we need to build and turn into a habit so that we can all enjoy life longer and fuller.
