Engaging skeletal muscles in activities that need energy expenditure is what we can call physical activity. Physical activity is essential for overall health, especially that of muscles and bones. It also offers many other psychological benefits.
Lockdown during the global pandemic has made it extremely difficult to manage physical activity. We are left with fewer options to stay active. For instance, gyms are closed, and unnecessary outdoor movement is banned too. Such circumstances have initiated a more sedentary lifestyle. Managing physical activity at home is itself a task.
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Benefits Of Physical Activity
Physical activity has countless benefits for both mind and body. These benefits make it essential to manage some degree of physical activity in routine. Let us view most prominent that it offers
- During a pandemic, it is a good way to manage stress, anxiety, and depression
- Physical activity promotes good mood
- It helps to add routine in life, especially during lockdowns
- It improves blood circulation
- It helps with quality sleep
- It is a good way to maintain a healthy weight
What Are The Outcomes Of A Sedentary Lifestyle?
The sedentary and inactive lifestyle has many undesirable health outcomes. Knowing these outcomes will allow us to understand the necessity of physical activity.
- Risk For Chronic Diseases
A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk for many chronic diseases—inactive and lazy routine results in weight gain. In adverse cases, it may even result in obesity. Obesity itself is associated with other health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular issues.
- High Stress
A sedentary lifestyle also increases stress. There are many stressors around us, especially during a pandemic. Due to high uncertainty about the future, there is an increase in both stress and fear.
This stress is very injurious to mental health and well-being. Many psychological issues such as anxiety and depression are the outcomes of stress. A good way to manage stress is promoting physical activity in a routine.
- Alcohol & Drugs Consumption
Recent studies show that during the pandemic the alcohol & heroin consumption has tremendously increased. With an increase in uncertainty, people are using alcohol and heroin as a way to deal with grief and stress. According to statistics, alcoholism has increased by 14% in adults and 41% in women. This is an alarming fact.
Alcohol is otherwise injurious to health, and its excessive consumption can be life-threatening. Even during a pandemic, assistance from rehab centers can help to overcome this problem. These facilities are operating 24/7 and one can acquire alcohol and heroin addiction treatment from nearby rehabs during this pandemic.
- Unhealthy Eating Habits
Many studies show that unhealthy eating patterns have increased during lockdowns. It is again a major outcome of a sedentary lifestyle. Most people have witnessed weight gain because of less physical activity and more eating.
Ways To Manage Physical Activity
There are few tips that can help to overcome a sedentary lifestyle and staying active during a pandemic. The major rule of thumb is to cut your sitting time and keep moving around. Do not lose hope, and always remember that something is better than nothing.
You may even write it on a piece of paper and place it in front of you. This will give you motivation, and it will also help to manage stress.
- Be Creative
Use your creativity. This will help you to design and do your own activities. Like for instance, you may even look to change your interior design. It will allow you to move around, take and place things in and around the area.
Furthermore, it will help to engage the brain too. You may even plan to plant your lawn or even change it altogether with a different design.
- Walk More Often
It is a good option to use the available space at your home and start walking about. Break up sitting time and try to walk around to stay active. You may even set up an alarm on your mobile that allows you to move about deliberately.
- Get A Pet
Just like a baby requires full attention from parents, a pet also helps in keeping the caretaker active. Pets such as dogs are fond of a walk. So if you have a dog, there is no way you can avoid the walk. Furthermore, playing with your pet, taking care of pet meals, and other tasks all require physical activity.
This is a great way to stay active, and it also promotes good physical activity. In addition to keeping the owner active, pets also promote a good mood and happiness in their owners.
- Clean Up
Housekeeping and cleaning is another effective way to stay active. Household cleaning is full of physical activities. Activities such as vacuuming, mopping, dishwashing, and dusting all involve physical exertion.
- Cooking
Cooking is another way to promote physical activity and give up a sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, no meal is better than the one cooked by you. It will have a dual-action. First, kitchen tasks such as cutting, washing, cooking, and moving about all entail physical exertion.
- Dance About
Dancing is a form of aerobic exercise. It is a fun way to promote physical activity. It would not be wrong to call it a fun workout. It helps the body get in shape. It also helps to burn calories. Simply play music of your choice and make some moves on it.
Dancing also triggers endorphins, and it makes a person feel happy and healthier. If you think you can dance. You may even follow tutorial videos and have fun.
- Gardening
If you have a lawn at your house, then certainly this is the best way to stay active. Gardening requires a whole lot of tasks such as digging, mowing, and so on. Gardening is an excellent way you can stay fit and burn some calories.
Take Away
It is easy to get into a sedentary lifestyle, especially during pandemic lockdowns. Staying physically active is not that hard. All it needs is some effort. Setting up an active routine for you is difficult, but when you get started, you will definitely enjoy and manage health and fitness at the other hand.