Healthy Practices while Staying at Home.
I get it. Staying at home and keeping our health on track can be a tricky business. We have spent this lifetime only using our home for winddown time. When we come home in the evening, we eat food and go to sleep. When our brain associates our living space with sleep, television… everything but work and health, it becomes difficult to make that shift in our minds. I get it.
This post is going to focus on healthy practices, separating the work practices for another day. How can we stay on track with our health during these times? I have found, once I got the hang of a routine, that my health practices became easier, I was giving myself more time to focus on my health. What are the daily practices and routines that I used? I’ll share it with you below.
- Wake Up Early
We don’t have to go into work, so we might want to turn the alarm clock off in the morning… wrong. Although I have changed the time that I wake up in the morning, I still wake up before 7:30 am. I have always noticed that if I sleep in, I end up feeling more discouraged than anything because I didn’t have as much of my day to work with. When I wake up early and have the whole day at my fingertips, I am revived and enlightened.
- Workout Right Away
I have always been a morning workout person. I used to do it at night when I was getting my undergrad degree, but I wasn’t putting as much power into it, because I was more aware of what I was doing. In the morning I am still in this sleepy daze, where I can push because my mind is aware of what I am doing, but my body hasn’t quite woken up yet to retaliate. Plus, then it is done.
I usually do a yoga routine first thing, and then go for a run and partake in a strength training session. I am lucky enough to have a home gym with the squat rack and all the weights, but I know not everyone is. I have tons of bodyweight workouts in the new Magazine release that you can do as well.
I try and fit 6 yoga routines, 5 runs, and 3-4 strength training sessions in the week. It gives me a variety but allows me to keep a consistent routine, and that is really important during these times, a consistent routine.
- Take your time on your meals
You are at home. You don’t need to quickly prep your meals and have grab and go snacks. Take your time on the food that you put in your body. Try new recipes, try new vegetables at the grocery store, incorporate some new ideas.
And most importantly, eat your meal slowly. I know we are used to a short period of time to eat our lunch, but we are not in that situation anymore. Take your time making your meal, and take your time eating it, your gut will thank you.
- Get fresh air
This is by far the most important daily activity. I am in a place where I can still go for my runs outdoors, and if it is not a running day I go for a nice walk. Fresh air has been a part of my daily routine for the last three weeks and I think I want to make it part of my daily routine forever.
The fresh air wakes us up and invigorates our bodies. It also gives us a change of scenery, making cabin fever a lot less likely.
- Veggies, Veggies, Veggies
Our household from the start was eating quite a few vegetables in our diet, but with the self-isolation, we are eating WAY more, and let me tell you, it is so beneficial. We are trying new recipes and incorporating a lot of plant-based nutrition, our guts are stronger than ever.
Vegetables keep you gut healthy and your brains sharp. When we eat foods that carry a lot of fat and density, we begin to feel that density. We still start to feel sluggish and unmotivated. Although I am not saying to never indulge in those food items now and again, when you are focusing on your health, and these practices, filling your plate (with the appropriate servings) of vegetables is the way to go.
- Drink lots of Tea & Water
Coffee is great. I love lattes and café au laits; but the caffeine does not help my system right now. We are in a global state of panic, anxiety, and stress, adding caffeine to that mixture… not the greatest idea. I have cut back on my caffeine intake quite a bit since I have had to stay home, and I am drinking lots of tea and water. Tea counts as water because it is flavoured warm water, so the more cups of tea you have, the more water you are putting into your body, and water helps everything, it’s a natural detox.
Tea has a lot of natural relaxers in it as well. And when I say relaxers, I don’t mean that we will feel mellow, although there are teas that do that as well, but it calms our brain and allows us to remain sharp and focused.
- Read
How else to keep the mind and body connection sharp? Read. At the end of the day, I like to place my electronic devices to the side and grab a book or an e-reader (they are designed to emit less blue light, so you are not stimulating your brain as much). This completely relaxes my body and mind. I can sleep longer, and sleep better. This means that when I wake up in the morning, I am ready to do. Reading is so beneficial.