With the authorities continuing the vaccine rollout across the country, people will have a better opportunity to work on their health once they are inoculated. Before the vaccinations started, many people had to stay home to reduce exposure to the virus. The situation continued even after gyms and spas reopened since people were wary about exercising inside enclosed areas.
Due to this, many people opted to look for other ways to stay healthy while waiting for things to go back to normal. Some people were even wondering what a health coach can do to guide them in their health and wellness journey. But they can also keep themselves healthy by doing some ordinary yet effective things while staying at home. Here are some things they can do.
Have a Healthy Diet
The first thing a person should do is to have a healthy diet. A healthy diet allows a person to strengthen his immune system and prevents health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. An ideal diet should include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat. Not only do these food items keep the body strong and healthy, but they are also beneficial to the mental health of a person.
People should also reduce their consumption of food that can increase anxiety, such as caffeine and sugar. They can also enjoy small treats, but they should avoid overdoing them. This means they should limit sugar intake since overindulgence can cause sluggishness and even anxiety.
When they are tempted to have a snack or two, they can go for celery or carrot sticks rather than a bag of chips. With this, people should make sure to have a good stock of healthy food in the pantry. Starting a garden is also a good idea since it gives them a good source of fresh produce.
Start a Garden
Aside from supplying fresh produce, taking care of a garden also offers other benefits, including getting vitamin D from the sun that helps strengthen the immune system and the bones. It is also a good way for people to exercise since gardening allows people to use the major muscle groups in the body. Physical exertion may also help people avoid gaining weight. Research has also shown that gardening allows people to sleep well at night.
Working in a garden also reduces stress and improves the mood of a person. With this, the person will have better self-esteem and reduce the risk of depression. Additionally, gardening also helps people recover from an addiction. So, people who tend to drink alcohol can start a garden to help them get their minds off drinking.
Exercise at Home
Even though people are wary about working out in gyms and spas during the pandemic, it does not mean that they cannot exercise. If they do not have the equipment to use as weights, people can use household items, such as canned goods, empty milk jugs filled with water, or the stairs for cardio workouts. People can even work out without any equipment by performing push-ups, sit-ups, and planks.
People who have remote work arrangements with their companies may already have a workspace set aside at home. Similarly, they can also set aside space where they can exercise at home. These spaces can be anywhere as long as they have space to move around, especially if they plan to perform jumping jacks. People can even jog around the neighborhood as long as they maintain minimum health standards, such as wearing a mask or avoiding people who are not a part of their household.
Connect with Other People
While exercising takes care of physical health, people can also keep themselves mentally healthy by staying in touch with their family and friends. If the pandemic happened over two decades ago, it would have been a struggle to get in touch with people around the country. But these people can turn on their computer and talk with their friends and family through video conferencing software over the internet.
Staying connected with family and friends even over the internet offers numerous mental health benefits, especially among people who live alone. Seeing a familiar face or hearing their voices is a lifeline that can alleviate any stress they have experienced during the health crisis. Additionally, they can even help motivate people in their struggle to remain healthy until everything goes back to normal. They can encourage as people try to reach their wellness goals.
Staying healthy during a pandemic can be challenging. But it is not impossible as long as people remain motivated to reach their goals.
