Has cabin fever set in for you yet? Most people aren’t used to being at home for such prolonged periods, especially with gyms being closed and most social gatherings being canceled. Many of our patients have been inquiring about how they can stay active during this time.
The following recommendations can help you maintain good physical and mental health while adhering to social distancing and self-isolation due to the Coronavirus.
Mental Health Activities
Meditation
SetPT highly advises that during this time, when you feel anxious or stressed out that you take a few moments to practice mindfulness and meditation. This process helps you become grounded and focus on stress-relieving techniques. With so many negative inputs from current events, it’s important to put some positivity into your day and focus on some things that you are grateful for. There are many meditation apps on the market these days, but we particularly like Headspace and Calm.
Reading
A common complaint amongst many individuals is that they’re unable to find the time to read a book. Right now is a great opportunity for us all to pick up that book we’ve always wanted to read but haven’t had the chance to do so. For those looking for new reading materials, we recommend searching through The New York Times’ best sellers list to find a book that appeals to you. Reading is a perfect way to escape the current situation and travel to a different place or time period that you have never been to before. Reading also stimulates creativity and inspires you to come up with new ideas and dreams. Bill Gates once said, “I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot.” Let yourself escape in a book and dream new dreams that you never thought were possible before.
Maintaining Physical Health
Daily Walks
Practicing social distancing doesn’t mean that you can’t go outside and get fresh air. SET Physical Therapy strongly advises that you go on a 15 to 20-minute walk every single day. Walking is a great way to take in the wonder of nature while also improving blood flow throughout your entire body. If you speed walk, this type of movement can also be a cardiovascular activity. It is said that 15 to 20 minutes of exercise that increases your heart rate from 15 to 20 bpm above your resting heart rate helps reduce inflammatory mediators in the body. If you feel that your body is tightening up due to sitting on your couch, push yourself to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Participating in physical activity will do a great deal of good for both your physical and mental health.
Outdoor Activity
There is a wide range of workouts that you can do outside, such as bike riding or yoga in your backyard or a park. There is also a bevy of digital workout guides and tutorials available for viewing from a variety of different sources that you can utilize for outdoor workouts. These workouts usually include calisthenic exercises like push-ups, squats, lunges, burpees, and plenty of others.
The most important advice that we want to instill throughout this period of social distancing is to take care of yourself. The Coronavirus’s impact can often lead to depression and deteriorating physical health, so please try out some of the above tips and incorporate them into your daily life to combat harmful repercussions from COVID-19.
The physical therapists at SetPT would love to help you put together an exercise program during this time to help you achieve some functional goals. Please reach out to us for a telehealth session if you are trying to come up with a plan and want assistance. Remember that we are here for you and want to support you during this difficult period.
