With gyms up and down the country closing their doors, millions of exercise fanatics saw their workout regimes halted. This caused many people to try and work out from home, embark on more outdoor pursuits, and attempt some HIIT in their back garden. Results have been mixed. Alongside gyms closing, the pandemic has hit our lives more dramatically than we could have ever imagined. This has meant that our priorities have shifted. While you may have been worried about keeping your abs toned a few months ago, now you might be more concerned about whether you will have a job in three months’ time. Health and fitness have taken a back seat for a little while.
However, fast forward to today, and the coronavirus appears to be in retreat, at least for the time being. While the risk of a second wave is still present, we cannot keep eating junk and living a sedentary lifestyle forever. We need to begin to adapt to a new normal. This means keeping fit once again. So, how do you stay fit and healthy during a pandemic?
Exercise
While you may have been in the gym two hours a day, five days a week, you now need to adapt. If you aren’t going to be working out as much, you need to make sure that the quality of your exercise is top-notch. Head outdoors more than you usually would to embark on some different forms of cardio. Whip out your push bike and get cycling. Take a jaunt to the park or do some road cycling. This will help you get out of the house, see some scenery, and get fit at the same time. One essential cycling tool is a power meter. Through the device, you can get accurate data on how you are faring and use the numbers to improve your performance. Take this time as a challenge to better yourself as a cyclist for fitness and future competitions.
If you don’t have a bike, think about jogging. If you’ve never run before, there are plenty of free 0 – 5k apps that will get you running a 5k in just eight weeks.
Exercising needs to cater to your fitness needs. If you are keen to enhance your stamina, cardio is ideal. However, if you want to strengthen your core, yoga and planking could be your best bet. There are lots of beginners’ vlog tutorials to guide you through the process of breathing exercises and postures to help keep your abdominals tight and your body toned.
If you want to build muscle mass, consider a nitric oxide formula for muscle growth, especially when weight lifting needs to be curbed a little bit. This extra boost can help you retain muscle on those enforced rest days.
Eating
To stay fit and healthy, exercise needs to go hand in hand with diet. Eating the right things at the right time can help fuel your body so you can work harder and longer when embarking on exercise. Forget about eating junk food, sugary snacks and fatty treats, and put them to one side. Instead, you need to be eating grilled lean meats, oily fish and a variety of vegetables. Eating the rainbow is a great adage to live by. Colours in food are thought to determine the types of antioxidants present in them. Eat a variety of colours and you are hitting more antioxidants. Antioxidants are great to ward off colds, boost immunity, and keep you feeling alert and motivated.
Ensure that you craft your meals around green leafy vegetables alongside carbs and protein. By eating a balanced and nutritious diet, you won’t ever have to worry about banning a food stuff. Eating in moderation is key to maintain fitness and shift the pounds, but if you’re struggling to shift excess weight then you should look into finding the best weight loss supplements available in your country.
Sleep
Sleeping well can seem elusive when we are in a heightened state of anxiety. Covid-19 has brought with it a whole host of new worries and concerns. To try and hone a better sleep routine, make sure that you develop a relaxing couple of hours before bed. Consider what it is that keeps you calm and relaxes our mind. Perhaps you could run a hot bath and enjoy a soak in the tub with a good book, some relaxing tunes, and scented candles. Alternatively, you might prefer going for a walk to clear your head. Being in the sunshine will also help your body absorb natural light, which is scientifically proven to regulate your circadian rhythm and improve your sleep. Sleeping well is necessary to remain alert, keep emotions in check and boost your mood.
Ban screens if you can just before bed. While it’s good to stay abreast of the news, don’t succumb to becoming addicted to rolling news. Coronavirus statistics will stick in your head, intrusive thoughts will creep into your mind, and you will end up taking them to bed with you. Ban the screens and maintain a more relaxed environment prior to hitting the sack.
It can be tough during a pandemic to remain focused, anxiety-free, and trim. Follow this guide and you can stay healthy during these more surreal days.
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