By Joshua Tso
Growing up we thought we would have flying cars and 3D TVs by 2020, and yet we are relearning the importance of washing our hands. Although stress and anxiety are high during this time, it is important to take care of ourselves as well. Taking care of ourselves, not just for our protection against Covid-19, but for our own well-being and health.
Being healthy is more than being free from disease and illness, but should include an active approach as a goal for reaching and balancing our health. Wellness can be described as a state of being in good health, in regards to mental, social, physical and social aspects. Pretty much, our measure of wellness is a reflection of our own lifestyle. “Social distancing” is becoming the norm, which will promote society’s overall health and wellbeing. As we know our wellness can take a hit, which is why being conscientious about our own wellness is centrally important during this time. While many of our physical activities and sports have a huge social component to them, like basketball, we have to rethink of ways to stay healthy during this time of “Social Distancing.” And according to experts, a non-active lifestyle can be very detrimental to your health. Not getting enough physical activity can lead to heart disease—even for people who have no other risk factors. It can also increase the likelihood of developing other heart disease risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.
Here are some fitness tips while self-isolating:
- You may not be able to meet up with your bros at the gym, but that doesn’t mean you can call or facetime someone for a push-up and sit up challenge. Plus it feels nicer to call someone than text every and now then.
- There are plenty of exercises that use your own body weight as resist, such as push-ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, planks, bear crawls, crab walks, pulls ups, squats, lunges, side lunges. Youtube has thousands of instructional activities that can help combat your movie marathon couch session.
- Aside from resistance training and exercises, stretching is vitality important to the body. Yoga is great for a combination of light cardio and stretching at the same time. Once again, Youtube is a great resource for a basic yoga routine to kick off and end your day with. Experts say light exercising before bed makes for a great night’s sleep.
- Although at-home cardio machines are a luxury, health experts are not against the idea of people getting outside for exercise. The natural sunlight might also be a good break for your eyes when staring at a tv screen for too long, not to forget that Vitamin D is synthesized from sunlight. We suggest getting out for short hikes, walks, running and jogging, as long as you keep your distance from large and small crowds. We’re sure your rez(delete) pups and dogs would love it too.
- Keeping active will challenge and boost your immune system. Even for those with diabetes, keeping blood sugar levels in a healthy range can help their immune system in the fight against illness. Wellness can be achieved but only if we are committed on a daily basis to pursue an active lifestyle. I challenge you to ask yourselves what state is your physical fitness? Mental fitness? Social fitness? And spiritual fitness?