Keeping Fit During The Lockdown

Getting into an active lifestyle has always been a struggle for all of us. The most common reason for this may be a hectic work schedule, prioritizing household chores and family, or lack of awareness about fitness and exercise.

In recent times with the outbreak of COVID-19, people are more constrained to their homes, which is a dire need of the situation but at the same time. We need to seize this opportunity to change or modify our lifestyle.

How does exercise help?

• Exercise boosts energy. Regular physical activity improves muscle strength and helps us keep our bones, muscles, and joints healthy.
• It also improves cardiac function and mental fitness.
• Physical activities boost the circulation of the synovial fluid, which helps to lubricate the joints. The muscles and bones get stronger, which improves joint stability and prevents early arthritis.
• A rapid gain of bone mass occurs until we turn 18 and peak bone mass is the greatest at 30 years of age. Hence daily exercises are recommended for 30-45 mins at this age. This promotes good bone health for the long term.
• Women, in particular, need to build their bone mass and strength between the age of 25-30. The lower the peak bone mass, the higher the risk to develop osteoporosis.
• Mild to moderate levels of exercise also helps to control blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol.

What effect is the lockdown having on us?
In modern times we have already coined the term “sitting disease”. This happens due to prolonged sitting and a sedentary lifestyle. It increases our chances of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, chronic pain syndromes, and so on.

In addition to this, with the current situation, most of us are working from home, sitting for unusually long periods in front of the television or with our electronic devices such as tablets and smartphones.

It is a common misconception that if we exercise once a day, we will not be subjected to the negative impact of sitting. Sustained postures like this will cause muscle fatigue and impact our exercising capacity as well.

Few tips to stay away from these negative impacts:

• Make sure you sit on a chair with proper back and thigh support.
• Do lunges, squats, or spine stretches every 30-45 minutes for a couple of repetitions.
• Alternate between sitting and standing every 30 minutes or use a standing desk.
• Practice yoga stretches, breathing techniques.
• Do mild to moderate levels of aerobic exercise like walking within the house, climbing stairs for 10-15 minutes daily.
• Ensure you get your daily intake of Vitamin D (sunshine).
• Keep your diet healthy and make sure you include foods rich in calcium in your diets like dairy products, tofu, soybeans, leafy vegetables and nuts.

By such small changes, we are not only improving our bone and muscle health but also our mental health and overall well being.