Health

7 Tips to Stay Healthy While Staying Home

A lot of people are staying at home more than usual right now, and certain usual exercise arenas like gyms, parks, and exercise studios may be closed in your area.

But, this does not mean that you can implement a few ways to try and stay as healthy and active as possible while staying at home.

Read on for 7 tips that you can follow to make sure you don’t slip into unhealthy habits or a sedentary lifestyle while you are at home more.

  1. Getting in your cardio at home

Cardiovascular exercise isn’t just to help keep your heart and body healthy, it can be great for your mental health and overall mood too.

The mayo clinic recommends that adults get in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, about 30 minutes 5 times a week.

If you want to invest in some at-home cardio equipment at this time – rowing machines, treadmills, stationary bikes, or ellipticals are great choices for most home gym areas.

Or, if you don’t feel like spending any extra money, you can get in plenty of cardio just around your neighborhood with walking, jogging, and biking around. Just be sure to abide by your local social distancing recommendations and try to find a less densely populated outside area if possible.

Want to get in some cardio without equipment while inside? Jumping jacks can be a great way to get your heart pumping without setting one foot outside.

  1. Body-weight and strength-training exercises at home

If you want to make sure you are staying in tip-top shape while staying home, you also have to incorporate strength training exercises in addition to your cardiovascular regimen.

Aim for strength training 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes.

Invest in a set of dumbbells at the average weight you tend to use, get crafty with heavy items around the house (safely!), or look up some simple strength-training moves that can use your body weight.

For some, a set of 10-pound dumbbells, combined with squats, push-ups, and a pull-up bar may be all your need to keep a strong physique. 

  1. Floor stretches and flexibility exercises

While you are putting together your home workout routine, don’t forget to schedule in stretching, warm-ups, and flexibility exercises to become more limber, improve your posture, and prevent exercise-related injuries.

Simple gentle stretches can be enough, or you can really ramp up your flexibility and strength by incorporating yoga or pilates into your routine.

There is an endless supply of free yoga and pilates tutorials online, so you can pick and choose ones that fit your mood, style, schedule, and fitness level.

  1. Increasing general activities

If structured exercise routines aren’t your thing, you can still help maintain better overall health by making sure you are at least moving around your home more.

Pick up gardening in your yard, integrate more daily housework, or simply just walk around your home or yard while talking on the phone to increase your overall activity levels and help stay healthier.

Anything that gets your body moving more will help you feel better both mentally and physically in the long term.

  1. Eating a balanced diet

What you eat is just as important as physical activity to help you maintain overall health.

Being at home more may mean that you have more access to snacks, and having less of a routine may make choosing healthy food options challenging, but with good choices and a little planning, you can ensure that you are maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.

Choose whole grains, lean proteins, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables at the grocery store to avoid having too many tempting not-so-good-for-you options at home.

Or, instead of ordering take out, opt for more home-cooked meals made from whole food ingredients.

Hate cooking? Taking a few hours out of your day just once a week to meal prep can be a great way to save time and have fresh and healthy meals ready to eat throughout the week.

  1. Taking time for self-care

Making sure that you are keeping stress levels down and maintaining a healthy outlook is also very important to your overall health when you are staying at home more.

Calling up friends and family for a friendly chat, meditating, having a long soak in the bath, using your favorite skincare products, or just making a cup of tea and reading your favorite book are all great ways to integrate stress relief and self-care into your everyday life.

  1. Addressing minor health issues at home

Part of staying healthy while you are staying at home more includes making sure you are not ignoring health concerns or issues.

Even if you are trying to minimize trips out, your health needs to take priority, and for acute, severe, or concerning medical issues you likely need to go seek out medical attention in-person immediately.

But, for those small, pesky, or just slightly irritating issues like toenail fungus, skin concerns, or sexual health issues, you can also make sure you are getting the medical care you need while staying at home with online telemedicine clinics.

With many telemedicine clinics, like Strut Health, you can have a free online visit with a doctor about various non-urgent conditions, and then if you require a prescription it can be shipped directly to your front door.

Conclusion

Staying at home more doesn’t mean that you can’t also maintain optimal health. Integrate at-home or near-home exercises like running, walking, stretching, or simple weight training exercises to get your heart pumping and keep your muscles toned.

Make healthy eating a priority and keep healthy choices around to avoid temptation.

Self-care is also a big part of staying mentally and physically healthy while staying at home more. Take time for yourself, integrate healthy stress relief activities, and keep in touch with friends and family.

Take care of those irritating health concerns by having online telemedicine visits with real doctors to make sure you aren’t avoiding or having to put up with lingering hair, skin, nail, or sexual health concerns.

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