Olivia Hein | Special to the 51暗网
In other pandemics, social distancing, self-isolation, and quarantines led to boredom, loneliness, frustration, and even anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has been no different.
However, physical activity has been shown to be invaluable in maintaining mental health.
While having direct benefits on mental health, physical activity can also be used as an opportunity to connect with others which also maintains mental health (eg. call a friend on your daily walk, do a home activity with a family member, or participate in online exercise classes).
Further, physical activity is known to lower blood pressure, improve sleep, help with weight management, increase energy, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, increase bone and muscle strength, and the list goes on.
There is also increasing evidence to support moderate physical activity and its positive effects on the immune system 鈥� something particularly relevant to the current situation.
So you want to be more active, or you were previously active, but the activity centre is closed and you don鈥檛 know where to start.
First, physical activity does not have to be an intense workout.
If you are not interested in or are unable to do hour-long workouts, there are still plenty of things that you can do in order to get your body moving.
For example, start with setting a timer for every 30 to 45 minutes then when it goes off do a couple laps of your home, maybe some stairs, and a few stretches to keep your body from getting stiff.
You can also go for a walk outside, do some yard work or gardening, do an active family challenge with your kids, or dance to your favourite music.
If home workouts are something you are interested in, there are many exercises you can do
without equipment like squats, lunges, hip hinges, burpees, and push-ups to name a few.
If you would like to add weight to your exercises, resistance bands are great if you have them or you can fill a backpack with heavy items like water bottles or books (make sure to add weight in small increments to prevent injury).
You can also do different variations of the above examples and modify them to suit your individual needs and abilities.
Whichever way you decide to be active, try to make it a regular part of your day. This way it will simply become part of your routine.
You can involve your family and/or friends to help keep you accountable and to maintain those social connections too. Always listen to your body when being active.
Jasper Physiotherapy is here to help you with your health and wellness during this pandemic.
You can still contact the clinic to be seen by a physiotherapist through virtual visits, or to purchase exercise equipment and rehab products. We will also be offering online exercise.
