As we’ve all been cooped up for a couple weeks now, and now that the social distancing guidelines have been extended until April 30th, it has been easy to pig out on junk food, watch tv for hours on end, not put effort into our appearances, and forgo any thought of exercise now that gyms are no longer at our fingertips.
We have a choice to make. Work towards a healthier you or work towards a lazy, unmotivated unhealthy version of you. It is now more important than ever for us to continue with a positive outlook, stick with daily routines, and healthy habits so we are setting ourselves up for success when we can get back to our normal lives. It’s been said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Don’t waste these next few weeks forming bad habits.
First, set an alarm and get up at a decent hour. Just because you may not be reporting to your office by 7am right now, doesn’t mean you should sleep your morning away. Get up, workout, shower, put yourself together like you would on a normal workday. When you look and feel good, you more likely to have a productive outlook and mindset for the day. Don’t have any work to do for your job? Work to perfect your resume or learn new skills that will set you apart when you return to the workforce. Watch Youtube videos and brush up on your Microsoft Office Skills, learn how to code or build websites, look into online learning certifications that go with your career.
Additionally, we probably have more free time than we ever will right now. If you trek out to the grocery store, make healthy choices. Choose fruits and veggies, lean meats, etc. Don’t opt for the frozen, over-processed, foods with over 6 months shelf life. Let’s fuel our bodies. You are what you eat as they say. Want to feel energized, not sluggish, and nourished? Pick the foods that will give your body nutrients.
Meal prep! Staying at home all day can lead to temptation and heading to the kitchen all the time. Make sure you’ve got fruit and veggies cut up in the fridge ready to go if you need to munch on something. Have easy grab and go lunches if you don’t want to spend time prepping every single meal. Make it fun and get your kids or spouse involved.
Keep active! If you’re going stir crazy stuck inside, take a break and head outdoors. Take the dog for a walk around the neighborhood. Do a quick 15 minute HIIT sesh in your living room-lunges, burpees, air squats, push ups. Keep those muscles moving. There is no excuse to let your progress go down the tubes if you don’t have access to a gym right now. Look around your house for household items you can use in place of weights if you don’t have any home gym equipment. Use a chair and try “box step ups” but use the chair in place of the box. Use a case of water and do some backward lunges or squats. Get creative and get moving! Even if you’re someone who wasn’t into exercise before being cooped up, now is your time to get going. Each little day of progress can eventually add up to big results. Let’s make this time count!
We at Team Hamilton are excited to keep improving individually, as a team, and making it a priority to stay positive during the unknown times. There is a lot going on that we have no control over, so why not work on the things you can control?