Shield Your Health as You Shelter in Place
In times of crisis, it’s easy to put healthy living on the backburner. In this current crisis, things are, as so many newscasters have said, unprecedented. While we are worrying about the short-term health of ourselves and our friends and loved ones, many of us suddenly have a lot more time on our hands. With that time comes endless possibilities with how to spend it. One smart way: pay better attention to our long-term health and wellbeing by starting to incorporate new healthy habits into our routines. Here are some tips:
Use the time for exercise.
By getting your body moving each day, you’ll protect your mental and physical health. Mentally, exercise lifts your spirits, increases your self-confidence, and puts you in a more positive frame of mind. Physically, you’ll boost your energy and stay on track with your fitness goals. Plus, exercise—especially outdoor exercise—is good for your virus-fighting immunity. For best results, schedule your at-home workouts like you used to, at a specific time of day. Then hold yourself to it.
Expand your exercise horizons.
With gyms and fitness clubs closed, we’re forced to do at-home workouts. We know there are all kinds of fitness apps and on-demand workouts these days. MyCurves On Demand not only has the variety you’re looking for with categories like Balance, Body Basics, Walking, Cardio, or Boxing but also features real women just like you leading you through each workout. All these exercise types can provide a good supplement to the Curves Circuit once your local Curves is back open again. Call or message your local Curves Coach for more information about MyCurves On Demand.
Follow a healthy eating plan.
When you’re stressed, it’s easy to give yourself an excuse to munch on that bag of potato chips or quell anxiety with a batch of brownies, or you may skip meals. An occasional slip up is OK, but overall, it’s important to take care of your nutrition in times like these by trying to follow a healthy meal plan. Drink plenty of water, fill up on immune-boosting fresh fruits and veggies, and use the time to try new healthful recipes.1
Find an outlet.
With the newfound time at home, why not try a new creative hobby, like photography, scrapbooking, painting, or writing poetry? If you want to increase your physical activity and tap into your creativity, try dancing. We tend to be most creative when we are emotional, so seize the day.2
Offer a helping hand.
Be it your local church, shelter, or your next-door neighbor, do what you can to help those who are struggling in your community. Take groceries to an elderly person, drop toilet paper off at a homeless shelter, and support local business, including your local Curves. A bonus—helping others is good for your own health, too.3
Be kind to yourself.
Truth be told, most of us are having moments when we are not our best selves. Frequent moments, most likely. And this is totally understandable under the circumstances. So, we need to give ourselves a break. None of us has ever been through anything like this, so there’s no guidebook for perfect behavior and success. Forgive yourself if you are short-tempered, skip a workout because you feel overwhelmed, or break down and cry.
Remember, this too will pass.
In the midst of the pandemic, this difficult time seems like it will never end. But it will end, we may not know when but it will, and there will come a time when you look back on this experience and reflect on how you handled it and what you learned.
To find out more about how you can informed lifestyle and health choices, visit our blog under the ‘Live’ category! You can also learn more about how the Curves Circuit can benefit your lifestyle here.
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