With all the craziness of the outbreak, our normal ways of staying fit are dwindling. Gyms are closing, state ordinances are keeping us inside and we’re filling up on sodium-packed canned foods. In such trying circumstances, it’s time to pull ourselves together and save our bodies from the Corona 15.
Now, I’m not saying you need to eat less — research shows that it’s about quality, not quantity. But staying inside all day isn’t great for your body.
A lack of sunlight messes with your circadian rhythms, which affect your appetite, sleep schedule and overall mood. Your skin gets pale and joints get achy from Vitamin D deficiency, and that’s only touching on your physical body.
Less activity could extend winter blues and seasonal depression, ravaging your mental health.
You’ll start feeling stressed for no reason, not to mention the craziness of boredom. This even affects how you perform in school — as if online classes weren’t hard enough — and it’s easier to lose focus when you’re inactive.
With that in mind, here’s some advice on how to keep your entire body in check, to have fun and make the best of quarantine.
The first thing I want to touch on is food. No matter what you do, you’ve got to fuel your body the best you can. I know it’s easy to slump into the boxed mac and cheese and packaged ramen in your pantry, and that’s okay. Just don’t make it your WHOLE diet.
Try to fit some fruits and veggies in there where you can. If they’re hard to access, pick up some multivitamins to make sure your body is properly nourished.
And like I was saying before, it’s all about quality. You should always make sure you’re getting the right amount of calories for your daily activities, but it’s even the difference between a bag of crackers and a bag of chips. Watch the fat, sodium, alcohol and everything else in moderation.
UW suspends all spring semester face-to-face course instruction
Now we’ve got exercise. Very few of you are lucky enough to have a treadmill, much less a weight room. My message to you — use them!
As for everyone else, try to dedicate at least 30 minutes of your day to exercise, but the recommendation is an hour.
Browse Google and YouTube for makeshift weights or weightless tutorials. I’d also look into calisthenics to use the weight of your body to work out.
Utilize the rooms and objects in your house — I’ve been running up my stairs five times every day, a simple but effective way to get your heart rate up. If you’re not into sweating, there’s always yoga, or even taking a walk around your house.
My last piece of advice is to keep your mentality in check. Try to make a list of things to accomplish every day. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but enough to activate your brain.
As students, we’ve been in school for most of our lives, and because of that, we’ve underestimated the importance of engaging the brain.
It’s our most important muscle, and when it goes unused, our whole body loses motivation. Whatever you do during quarantine, keep engaging your mind. Circumstances will get better, and you should keep your body ready for it.
