Most of us are not as active as we were before this pandemic. We are staying home and not being as careful as we used to be in terms of what we are eating and the lack of activities we are performing. It is easy to get lazy and become a slob. Some of us are feeling sorry for ourselves and need those extra indulgences to make ourselves feel better. It is fine to treat yourself to help with your mental health and well-being, however, it is not okay to let yourself go as it will have long-lasting effects on your overall health.
We are happy to share some tips with you on how you can stay healthy and fit while you are at home.
The first tip is to plan your meals in advance. By doing this, you will only shop for the ingredients that you need to prepare your meals. Plan healthy meals that are high in protein, low in carbs and include at least three different colours on your plate. This will ensure you are eating a lot of healthy vegetables. Make sure you eat throughout the day, however, make sure you don’t snack at night. These are calories that we often consume because we are bored.
Make sure you drink a lot of water throughout the day. Fill up a large glass of water and sip from it while you are busy doing your English or French online lessons or sitting around watching television. The water will help keep you full and will also cleanse your body of toxins. You should be drinking no less than eight glasses of water a day. You should also start off your day with a large glass of water to set the right tone for the day. If you feel hungry throughout the day, try drinking a glass of water. If after half an hour you are still hungry, then get yourself a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or some nuts.
The most important tip is to get physical. You must be as active as possible. Start your day with a workout. There are so many wonderful online workout sessions. My favourite these days is the Team Body Project workouts that you can find out YouTube. They are easy to follow and the workouts include cardio and resistance training. After you have sweat it all out, go and take a nice shower and get dressed like you are actually going to go out. Experts agree that if you get dressed and groom yourself every day, you will be a lot more productive throughout the day. It also feels great to know that you still fit into your clothes!
If you are feeling bored, you can also put on a face mask and go for a long walk or bicycle ride. The Bixi bikes are back and you can access the bike stands anywhere on the island of Montreal.
Another important tip is to allow yourself at least two cheat days a week. On these cheat days, allow yourself to eat something you normally would not eat. In my case, my cheat days include bread. this will ensure you do not overindulge on those other days because you are feeling deprived.
We hope these tips help you to stay healthy, strong and fit while you are social distancing at home.
