How to Stay Your Healthiest While Staying at Home

If you’ve been stuck inside for the last several months, you may be concerned about the best ways to stay your healthiest while staying at home as we ride out the waves of this global pandemic. This year has been challenging for everyone and as we’re all living outside of our normal routines and schedules, it’s important to do the best we can to be sure we’re taking care of our bodies and minds and keeping ourselves engaged and occupied with self-care. Here are some ways to help you stay healthy while at home during this new normal.

Meal prepping and planning to stay healthy at home

Trying to stay your healthiest when stuck at home can be challenging when it comes to meals. The refrigerator and pantry are only a few steps away, so its easy to find yourself staring into them at random times throughout the day. Often boredom and anxiety can cause you to snack more often than you’d like to.

One way to combat this problem is to incorporate meal planning into your weekly schedule. Many families meal plan dinners but then leave out the rest of the day. This can pose a problem, especially now when everyone is home and there’s no meal structure throughout the day. If possible plan out your family breakfasts, lunches, and snacks to ensure you stay healthy at home during these difficult times.

Try to include protein, fruit, a vegetable, and starch in most meals early on in the day. This will help keep you feeling full and energized to power through work and helping the kids with online learning. Adding in some good fats like avocado or healthy oils can also increase your feeling of fullness and help you limit the amount of snacking you do throughout the day.

At-home workout ideas that won’t break the bank

Right now going to the gym is likely not on your list of top things you want to be doing during a global pandemic. Thankfully, there are plenty of workouts you can do to stay your healthiest while staying in the comfort of your home. YouTube is a fantastic resource for finding free workouts that will get you moving and feeling great throughout the day.

Whether you’re looking for yoga, pilates, cardio, weight training, or high-intensity interval training, there is something for every fitness level and interest. There are also countless dance tutorials on YouTube that will have you dancing and working out, getting healthy, and losing weight before you know it.

Fitness Blender offers a variety of free workouts from cardio and HIIT to kettlebells and weights. You can also visit their website for a free customized workout plan. Tone it Up! provides a wide variety of free workouts, recipes, and meal ideas as well as healthy living advice and resources. If you’re looking to get started with yoga, consider Yoga by Adriene for a 30-day beginner series.

Don’t discount just getting outside and breathing in the fresh air. A daily walk around the neighborhood or just heading to your backyard or patio will do a world of good. If you have a green thumb, getting out in the yard, gardening, pulling weeds, raking and planting are all great ways to get exercise in the fresh air. Plus growing your own food is both healthy and will help boost your mood.

Don’t forget about your mental health

We often forget that part of our well-being revolves around our mental health. If you’ve been unable to check in with your therapist or get to your appointments due to the pandemic, now more than ever, you need to tend to your mental health. Be sure to contact your counselor, stay in touch, and reach out when you need to. It’s also a good time to ensure your medication doesn’t lapse as ar result of not getting to an appointment.

If you’re feeling sad, lonely, or isolated, there are ways to connect while still maintaining social distance. Online virtual book clubs, chats, and cooking classes are a great way to do something for yourself, break out of your comfort zone, and keep yourself engaged and moving forward during this unprecedented time.

Take a Break From the News

One of the most important parts of maintaining your mental health is to take regular breaks from the constant barrage of news and information that comes at you each day. It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity and while it is important to stay informed of current events, taking regular breaks from the news is good for your mental health. Wellness encompasses many things and keeping your mental health on point is a key part of staying healthy, especially when you’re staying safe at home.

Take steps to stay as healthy as possible while you’re staying safe at home, even if it seems overwhelming. What you do now to maintain your health, wellness and well-being will help prepare you body, mind, and soul as we move into the colder weather months. Getting outside in the fresh air, staying active, and eating a well-balanced diet will ensure you feel at the top of your game during the challenging times we’re currently facing.