In December of 2019, most Americans were simply going about their daily lives as usual, spending money on last-minute Christmas shopping and sharing time with friends and family, not giving it a second thought.
Just three months later, in March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world hard. We all witnessed a global shutdown. Countries sealed off their borders around the globe and numerous businesses were forced to close their doors.
We also learned that being isolated or quarantined without access to everyday resources caused a huge problem around the country and around the world. In addition to hospitals and being inundated with COVID patients, gyms and other health facilities began to shut their doors.
But we began to see a little bit of hope as the onset of 2021 came, and mask mandates began to lift. But sure enough, the resurgence of COVID came again through the Delta variant. With this new variant, urgent care physicians are needed all over the world.
Despite the pandemic changing our lives, maintaining health is still a critical priority for leading a full life. Here, we’ll discuss ways you can still enjoy life and keep healthy amid the global pandemic.
Healthy Eating
Perhaps the first fundamental for healthy living is your diet. What you put into your body affects you physiologically and psychologically, so choosing foods that make you feel good becomes a priority for maintaining optimal health.
With the pandemic shutting down small grocery stores and causing problems with supply chain movement, many individuals found themselves having to go without certain foods or ingredients.
Thankfully, eating healthy foods doesn’t require exotic items from faraway lands. Some of the best foods to eat are actually looked over for the more colorful, popular choices on supermarket shelves.
Sticking to a basic diet that covers the proper portions for your age and size will be your best strategy to maintain good health. Additionally, eating little, but often, is a great method for keeping your energy levels up and your mental health in good working order. Be sure to keep your teeth healthy as well; if you need a recommendation, you should check out this Dentist in Freeburg.
Exercise
Aside from having a healthy diet, proper exercise is also essential for maintaining good health. As we saw during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many gyms were forced to close their doors.
Correspondingly, as more people began having to stay home, exercise equipment began flying off of store shelves, and many items such as bicycles were placed on backorder due to such high demand.
Thankfully, you don’t need any equipment at all to get a nice workout at home. Additionally, you don’t need much time to set aside for your personal daily fitness either.
Most of us can spare 15 to 20 minutes a day. And this is all you really need to keep yourself fit and in shape. You can begin by doing body exercises such as pushups and situps, dips, and burpees. All of these exercises are great for burning fat, maintaining your strength, and keeping muscles toned.
Rotate your exercises each day so that you’re not simply going through the motions and you’ll be surprised at how much better you feel.
Mental Health
Your body might be in shape, but unless you’re in shape mentally, you’re not truly in good health.
Mental health has become the focus of numerous health studies in recent years, and this is one area that has been greatly affected by the pandemic. Being isolated, though sometimes welcomed, can be difficult to deal with for extended periods of time. In order to combat the feelings you might experience with being isolated, or even the fear and anxiety of pandemic-related issues, there are several strategies you can try. You can also try to incorporate essential oils for better mental health management. CBDClinicals has a list of the best cbd oils to use to combat anxiety, stress and other health concerns.
Develop a personal meditation routine, or a time set aside for prayer. These spiritual practices can bring your focus back to the present, and reduce the stress surrounding your life.
Additionally, taking time to read inspirational works, or listening to an informative, upbeat podcast can also take your mind off of pressing issues that might be having an effect on your mental well-being.
Health is important to living your day-to-day life to the fullest. Even amid a pandemic, we can all find ways to cope with this “new normal” that has worked its way into all of our lives, and keep ourselves healthy so we can enjoy our lives for years to come.