While mass vaccination is yet to pick up the pace, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and boosting immunity are the only options to counter the pandemic. Lockdown and work from home brought their own challenges to our lives as it is affecting our body movement as well as impacting us psychologically.
If you are not used to being at home every day, suddenly finding yourself confined to your house – be it on your own or with family members or flatmates – for several weeks may seem daunting. However, it’s doable with a little planning, kindness, and understanding. COVID-19 has made some remarkable changes to our lifestyles. To cope with these sudden changes, many of us turned to our cupboards and ate and drank more while sitting at home. One year later, these habits have resulted in many of us feeling less fit than we were before the pandemic.
Since the lockdown has been imposed for the second time in many cities and counties, lockdown fitness has become evident for many of us. While asking about her fitness routine during the lockdown, Mumbai-based Influencer cum fitness enthusiast Saina Poddar said, “My fitness routine includes healthy eating, sleeping, light exercise, and meditation. Eating as healthily as possible is important not only for our physical health but for our mental health too”.
“You do not have to follow a specific diet, just avoid processed foods as they tend to be high in sugar levels. The best foods for our mental health are generally the healthiest foods. Complex carbohydrates, found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, provide important nourishment for our body as they slowly release energy, which also stabilizes our moods. ‘Sleep is essential for our bodies to repair the cells, clear toxins, consolidate our memories, and process important information”.
“Between six to nine hours a night is sufficient for most people. Going to bed and waking up at a similar time each day can help maintain a sense of normalcy, and help you follow through with plans. Exercise releases chemicals in the body that make us feel good, and it’s also been linked to better sleep, reduced stress, and anxiety. You can do any form of exercise, though I prefer yoga as it is also good for meditation. My yoga session includes both breathing and stretching, which is good to maintain a healthy body and mind.’ ‘Last but not least, you need to keep yourself hydrated, take a few medicinal supplements like Vitamin C, Zinc, etc. to boost your immunity”.
“If you are not a fan of food supplements, you can also include turmeric, ginger, garlic, lemon in your daily diet to enhance your immunity,” Saina added.
