In the middle of everything that is happening with the COVID-19 pandemic, we can easily forget out physical health which might not be related to COVID-19. However, physical health is important as to keep healthy especially since the medical resources are pooled into helping to combat and control COVID-19 at the moment. Therefore, any other physical issue at the moment might put a strain and healthcare staff and system.
In this blog, I will provide 5 general good physical health that can be practised from home.
- Let’s get physical! – Physical Activity
Whether you were a gym person or not, why not give a home workout a go? You can invent your own workout regime using the exercises that work best for your body or else if you are not brave enough to venture your own plan, you can use social media and other gadgets. Various mobile applications exist with workout place or YouTube videos of Zumba, HIIT, Pilates… you name it. Look for what you prefer and you can practise it from the comfort of your home. This helps your circulation flow better especially since we might be more sedentary than usual. - Eat your greens!
It is also important to make sure that you are eating nutritional food rather than just junk food. Even though it might be easier to cook unhealthy food, it is important to remember that garbage in means garbage out. Therefore, it is encouraged to plan your meals daily, making sure you reach the daily caloric value. Breaking the carbohydrate cycle (bread and pasta) with some vegetables is highly recommended. Make sure to include Fibre, Protein, Iron and Calcium in your diet. - Drink it up!
It is important to remain hydrated enough when at home! Drinking water is beneficial for our body; for our skin, internal functions and energy. We need to drink at least of 2 litres per day. You can keep track of your water drinking either manually by measuring from bottles or through mobile applications that can remind you to drink water! Whilst it is recommended to drink a lot water, it is also advised to monitor alcoholic beverages as one can end up binge drinking without even noticing. In a nutshell, drink water wherever and whenever, whilst keeping other beverages to a minimum. - Sleep it off – Sleep Hygiene
We might feel that we have been rewarded with a lot of time! You can be the judge of whether that is free time or not. But this change might mess around our sleep routine leaving us unable to fall asleep or unable to wake up. Having a sleep schedule is recommended to help with better sleep. This can include determining a time where you will sleep and wake up. This should be kept throughout as the body clock can become accustomed to it. Having a night routine can also help. Common night routines can include reading books or poetry, listening to soft music, listening to an audiobook, having a face mask whilst buttering up your body. You need to find what works for you and practice that before you sleep. Having a morning routine can also help you wake up better and sharpen your mind for the day ahead of you. - Washing your hands! – Hand Hygiene
This has been all over media and medical advice, however it cannot be emphasised how important it is. Handwashing should be done at all times prior to touching food, our body especially our face and especially after using the bathroom and going outside. And the definite obvious when we sneeze our cough in our hands. Even though our hands might look clean, various germs can be on our skin and under our nails, so don’t be fooled! They can be spread when we touch our nose, mouth and eyes. Handwashing should be done by soap and water whilst rubbing all fingers, palms and anything in between for at least 20 to 40 seconds. For further information, on handwashing and germ defence click here.
In summary, this blog suggests that you exercise and be physically active, eat nutritional food, remain hydrated, practise sleep hygiene and wash your hands regularly.
Danica Cassar has graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at the University of Malta and is currently reading for a Masters of Science in Health Psychology at the University of Bath.