Remaining Active and Healthy Under the Pandemic
The consensus of being healthy and several activities have dramatically changed since the second quarter of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of this, numerous individuals are stuck at home due to community lockdowns and travel restrictions. Lifestyles have been altered negatively, especially for people who make it a daily point to be proactive. Here are tips and tricks to keep your body active and healthy while following the stay-in-place orders during these trying times:
Moving…at home
According to a survey conducted by the Motorcycle Industry Council in 2018, approximately 18,000,000 Americans use the occasional motorcycle or bike either for express transport or leisure. With the ongoing restrictions in various areas, biking is risky for virus transmission. For people who are used to biking every day, there are numerous products for indoor cycling. Having to go to the store is not a problem as well, as some manufacturers offer delivery of products at your own doorstep. The usual cost of an indoor bike is around 100 to 150 USD, but the value consumers get for these items are definitely helpful and would serve as a necessity for everyday living inside homes.
Limiting screen time
With people being stuck inside their homes, there are almost no other entertainment outlets rather than their phones, tablets, televisions, and consoles. Overexposure to these screens causes eye damage that could result in poorer eyesight. Screens such as those of phones and tablets emit blue light, which could damage a person’s eye in the long run.
Research shows that adults should have their screen time for only two hours or less. But since the pandemic, the work from home protocol has been established. Workers are doing their jobs online, which means that these people would exceed the suggested time for screens. With the right time management, it would still be possible to keep your eyes healthy.
Take plenty of rest from your screen once in a while. If possible, equate your eye rest to the time you are on your screen. For example, spending two hours on your laptop means that you should take a rest from electronic devices for two hours or more.
Proper sleep
Sleep is one of the strongest means we have to keep our resistance up from the spreading virus. Having sufficient amounts of slumber strengthens our immunity to fight diseases. Unfortunately, many people are having problems sleeping properly under the pandemic. Some experts deem it as a factor of cabin fever, while others carry it from culture shock in staying indoors.
Clinical Associate Professor Donn Posner from Harvard University even went as far as to say that sleep problems in our time today are very similar to an infection. This shows that it is destructive in the long run if not cured, just like the virus. Several suggestions state that there is a fix to this recurring problem with proper discipline and dedication.
Managing the time you sleep will help with the problem exponentially. This comes after the aforementioned tip that electronic usage should be lessened. The two problems (too much gadget use and a lack of sleep) have a strong correlation with each other, so it should be fixed associatively.
Further exposure of the eyes to the cell phone also plays a huge part in sleeping capability. The later you use your gadgets, the harder it is for you to fall asleep. Blue light has something to do with sleep latency. The recommendation is to have an hour without cell phones or gadgets before sleeping. This way, falling asleep will be easier, thus having a more positive effect on your body.
Vitamins, the unsung hero
Today, proper eating and exercise are just not enough to cut it, especially under a pandemic. Eating vegetables and fruits is a must, of course, but to add up to a stronger defense against sickness, people should learn to drink vitamins daily. Our immunity system is in dire need of reinforcement to keep our bodies prone to the virus.
Taking vitamin C will help our systems cope up with these difficult times. Take two medications per day, but if multivitamins are being taken, one dose per day is enough. Double doses can apply to small portions of vitamin C per day.
The pandemic proved to be hard for several citizens, pushing their normalcy to the edge. But there are so many things you can do indoors to make it through. Following these tips would help you cope under a pandemic. It will also strengthen your lifestyle under the new normal.