Exercise, family time, getting outdoors: Healthy habits to keep up after lockdown ends

The Corona virus The pandemic has brought many unfortunate and downright strange things to our world: companies have closed, people have lost their jobsEvents were canceledalmost the whole Workforce (and everyone is Social life) went online and It is now acceptable to invite donkeys to zoom meetings.

But the corona virus pandemic has also led to many also positive changes. More than ever (or at least in a time that feels very, very long), people spend more time outdoors in the sunshine. Almost everyone I know has took up a new practice. People spend more time with their families and less time doing commitments.

Long-forgotten household chores such as washing the driveway under pressure and mulching the front yard again have been removed from the to-do lists. activities That gave us joy in childhood – squares, puzzles, coloring books and climbing trees – found their way back into our lives.

On the one hand, I reconnected with old friends and “socialized” (virtually of course) with them more than me in recent years. I found more time to do gentle movements like yoga than trying to put every exercise known to man into the 60 precious minutes that I normally had to work out the precoronavirus.

And – gasp – I actually read some books for pleasure, which I haven’t been able to do in the past two years. I kicked a soccer ball with my younger sister, went on countless walks in my neighborhood, and even played a few Scrabble and Hearts games.

Many people, including myself, have also recognized something essential: our lifestyle is not sustainable. Burn the candle at both ends and fight Burn out Every single day is not feasible. It is not healthy. This is not fun.

The Coronavirus pandemic made that very clear. No matter which side of the spectrum you were on – unemployed and spending a lot more time at home or busy with even more work – the world stood in one form or another for everyone and showed us that maybe many of us did not live their lives the way we did we really wanted it.

As soon as the world changes againAs it will be inevitable, we should stick to some of our newly discovered habits, profound insights, and rediscovered hobbies. Here’s what I want to say: I hope you join me or create your own list of habits you want to keep.

Listen and honor your body

I really love to exercise: I love to go beyond my mental and physical limits, break a good sweat and feel the muscles burn when I approach physical thresholds. However, I have learned that it is so It is not healthy to exercise like this every day. I knew this would lead to a coronavirus pandemic, but it’s now a pervasive thought.

Because fitness is an exit for me, I was initially one of those people who thought: “More time than ever! That means more exercise and harder exercise!” These thoughts quickly cleared up after destroying my body in a week with some of the toughest workouts I had ever programmed.

I’ve set priorities in the past few weeks Rest days and gentle movement. I still sweat well almost every day, but I take care of that too move slower – I’m going for a walk, take breaks off from work Stretch 10 minutes and try to end most nights with a gentle yoga flow. I also prioritize Recovery of training, such as Foam rollsand these habits have made a big difference in how I feel every day.

It is important to listen to your body and give it what it needs. For example, if you are so sore that you cannot sit on the toilet without your arms and the day demands you Interval circuit trainingMaybe you should just do yoga instead. Your muscles will thank you and you can train hard the next day.

As soon as the world returns to its usual hustle and bustle (or whatever new version of hustle and bustle), I plan to continue honoring what my body demands, and I hope this makes me a better athlete and a better trainer.

spend time with the family

Because of life plans that were in place before the Corona Virus pandemic exploded in the United States, I happened to be in my parents’ house when things shot through the roof. When Shelter-in-place orders came into force, I was with my mother, my stepfather and my younger sister.

At first I had a couple of little annoyances – I had to take into account that other people were there all the time and change my work schedule in a way that didn’t always feel ideal when I was used to living alone.

But I quickly realized how lucky I was to be here with them. I had all the comforts of home; I had people to talk to; I had homemade meals, family game nights, and lots of wine-related giggles with my mother, who is one of my best friends.

Had I been in my home across the country when the madness of the corona virus turned out to be devastated. I would have been lonely and scared. So yes, I am an adult who takes refuge with my parents – and I would have no other choice.

Keep in touch with old friends

I am pretty introvertOrdering at home didn’t bother me much at first Lack of socialization. In fact, some of my first thoughts were: “Hey, that means I don’t have to say no to events that I don’t want to go to. “And that made me really happy.

But a few weeks later I realized that as an introvert at least I needed something something social interaction. I hopped on several FaceTime and Zoom calls with friends I haven’t spoken to in months or even years, and it was fantastic. A glass of wine and some old stories can seem to keep me busy for hours!

I loved meeting old friends, even in a completely virtual way. I really hope to spread this habit to the world after the corona virus, and I hope that all my friends do too.

Set working limits

As a lifelong high-flyer and perfectionist Set working limits has always been difficult for me. This was true even in high school when I was working at a smoothie king in my hometown. My friends and family were often confused by the number of hours I worked in addition to school and sports.

I worked a lot throughout my studies and still do it in my early adulthood. I am a yes person, so it is not a good thing to say “no” to anything, especially work projects, even if I don’t really have time to start working anymore.

But the corona virus has taught me the risk of continually accepting more than you can handle. After a while, Burnout is inevitable and it may take a while for it to recover.

I had to practice setting limits during this time, especially with the added one mental weight of a global pandemicand I challenge myself to continue to make smart work decisions when life becomes “normal” again. For me, that means saying no when I can’t work on a new project, asking for help when I need it, and making my limits clear to others.

Go outside

I’ve always loved spending time outdoors and exercise outside. There is only something in the fresh air and sunshine that makes me so happy (and it is) no placebo). The sun vitamin (vitamin D) is not only good for your mood, it is also good Also good for your immune system.

During the coronavirus stay home orders, I did almost all of my workouts outdoors, except when it was raining – before that, I spent 60 to 90 minutes in a gym. This extra hour alone improved my mood and general well-being immensely, but to add to the benefits (and the boredom) I added more time outdoors with daily walks.

As much as I love the community at CrossFit gyms and have a room full Fitness equipment At my disposal I could be one of the converts to switch Home workouts Even if gyms and gyms are reopened, only for the sake of sunshine and fresh air.

Stress less about what you cannot control

If the coronavirus pandemic taught me one, I can’t control everything in my life. As much as I want – I’m very “Type A” – I can’t.

When the US coronavirus situation worsened for the first time, I emphasized every detail. I was very afraid of how this situation would affect my life, and I spent hours in my head analyzing the little things about how I could possibly exercise control in any combination of scenarios.

Finally, I realized that a level of control simply cannot exist because the coronavirus pandemic has left so many unknowns at all times. I can’t make plans for “when it all ends” because nobody knows when it will all end. I can’t schedule my work weeks as usual because the news cycle is constantly changing. I can’t even plan my workout in advance because, exercise at homeI have to take the weather into account and if I were to plan an outdoor workout and then it would rain, I would have to pan.

Finally, I learned to accept this lack of control (something) and it actually feels good. Although my type A inner personality keeps asking for lists, spreadsheets, and plans of all kinds, I know that stressing what I cannot control is not good for my brain or body.

I intend to carry this thinking into the world after the corona virus and let go of things that I cannot control. I know that this will be a difficult exercise for me, but I have already seen and felt the benefits. Less stressed, blessed, right?

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a doctor or other qualified healthcare provider if you have any questions about an illness or health goals.