How To Keep Fit During The Coronavirus Lockdown

As governments enforce strict measures to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus, over 100 countries have instituted either a full or partial lockdown. It is estimated that over a third of the world population is currently on coronavirus lockdown.

This leaves many people with both little to do and enough time to slip into unhealthy habits. Many might begin to worry about staying fit as staying at home provides the necessary condition to easily gain weight. Here are ways to save body frame:

Healthy Eating:
Healthy eating or eating to stay fit does not mean depriving yourself of food or looking unreasonably thin. A healthy diet would keep you nourished and energetic.

To maintain a healthy body, you need a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, and minerals in your diet.

Protein-Protein provides energy and supports your mood and cognitive function. It’s a vital nutrient required for building, maintaining, and repairing tissues, cells, and organs throughout the body. Most animal sources of protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy, deliver all the amino acids your body needs, while plant-based protein sources such as grains, beans, vegetables, and nuts often lack one or more of the essential amino acids.

Fat – Fat is a type of nutrient, and just like protein and carbohydrates, your body needs some fat for energy, to absorb vitamins, and to protect your heart and brain health.
Olives, canola, peanut, avocados, nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews), Peanut butter, Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines) and fish oil.

Fibre – Eating foods high in dietary fibre (grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans) can help you stay regular and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can also improve your skin and even help you to lose weight.

Calcium – Your body uses calcium to build healthy bones and teeth, keep them strong as you age, send messages through the nervous system, help your blood clot, your muscles contract, and regulate the heart’s rhythm.
Good sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy green vegetables, certain fish, oatmeal and other grains, tofu, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, garlic, sea vegetables and calcium-fortified foods such as cereals and orange juice.

Stay Hydrated
Your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly.
There are many different opinions on how much water you should be drinking every day. Health authorities commonly recommend eight 8-ounce glasses, which equals about 2 liters.
If you are concerned that you are not drinking enough water, check your urine. If your urine is usually colorless or light yellow, you are well hydrated. If your urine is a dark yellow or amber color, you may be dehydrated.

Exercise:
Even if you could step out, most gyms are closed. But do not be dismayed as you can turn your home into a gym. Below are some of the exercises you can do in the comfort of your home.

Skipping Rope
For some, skipping is a cardio form of cardio exercise for warming up. As a full-body workout, it can burn around 10-15 calories per minute.

Step Up
The step-up exercise works the muscle in the legs and buttocks.
To start, place your entire right foot onto the bench or chair. Press through your right heel as you step onto the bench, bringing your left foot to meet your left so you are standing on the bench.
Return to the starting position by stepping down with the right foot, then the left so both feet are on the floor.
Complete 15 steps leading with the left foot, then repeat another 15 steps leading with your left foot. Do three sets.

Spot jogging
This is an ideal warm-up exercise that, when done properly, can help you burn about 215 calories every half hour. On a spot, lift your knees and move your arms and legs like you do when you are running.

Run A Race
You can imitate the South African couple that ran a marathon on the balcony of their Dubai apartment. You can do yours in your living room by running around your centre table or in your hallway.

Dance
You probably didn’t know that dancing can also serve as an exercise. Dancing is a great way to get your heart rate up and burn some calories.

Yoga
Some of the benefits of yoga include; increased flexibility, increased muscle strength and tone, improved respiration, energy and vitality, maintaining a balanced metabolism, weight reduction, cardio and circulatory health. When in doubt on how to do yoga, you can follow tons of videos available on YouTube.

Get Active:
Idleness affects our wellbeing and mental health. This is not the time to be a couch potato.

Engage in fun activities with your family.