The Essential Guide To Starting A Health Revolution
With the emergence of a global pandemic in 2020, we may consider writing this whole year off. Instead, we yearn for 2021 to roll around rather than having to endure the misery of an autumn and winter. However, there is nothing to say that next year will be any different to this one. We don’t have a vaccine, people are becoming less likely to adhere to social distancing rules, and the world is looking more unstable than ever. Covid-19 has created a planet that is untrusting, anxious and extreme.
It can be challenging to work out what is in your control. By looking to our immediate environment, we can alleviate our anxieties a little. By taking back control of our own lives and by beginning our own health revolution we can be prepared should the novel coronavirus rear its ugly head near us. At the beginning of the year, the chances are you were planning your annual summer vacation, contemplating purchasing a new car, and looking to do some home improvements. Fast forward to today and your priorities will have shifted along with the new normal of the world. You are now more focused on spending quality time with your family, protecting your job, and improving your health. Take a look at how you can start a health revolution in 2020 to take something positive and long-lasting out of these terrible six months.
Weight
The most crucial factor in how severe you may or may not contract coronavirus is how much you weigh. Be objective and consider whether you have put on a few extra pounds or whether you need to decrease your waist size. If you fall into the very overweight or obese category, the symptoms that you could experience from Covid-19 could be more severe and require hospitalization. Yoyo diets and faddy foods may have you shifting the pounds quickly but the chances are you could quickly put the weight back on. To truly begin a health revolution, you need to change your entire relationship with food and hone a more sensible and healthy eating plan. This means foregoing the diets and eating entirely new meals.
Swap the fatty and greasy meats for leaner alternatives, eat plenty of Omega-3 rich fish, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and get rid of your chocolate drawer in favor of dried fruits, nuts and raisins. This might not sound hugely appealing, but there are some simple ways of livening up your meals. By tasting the rainbow and eating foods of different colors every day, your plate will look more exciting and you will be having a diet richer in a variety of antioxidants. This is great to boost your immunity.
You want to get rid of your excess weight and keep it off. This means becoming more active as well as eating more nutritious food. While you might not feel confident enough to head back to the gym, you can venture outdoors and go on some longer walks, take some cycle rides or even head out for a jog. As it gets cooler and the nights get darker earlier, the outdoors can lose its appeal. Instead, think about picking up a second-hand treadmill or exercise bike. Put this up in your spare room and spend some time exercising in the comfort of your own home as you watch the latest box set on Netflix.
To enjoy the last month of the summer sun, consider signing up for socially distanced park runs or personal training sessions. These can really kickstart your health revolution. A personal trainer will help you find your health mojo and enjoy becoming more active. An outdoor Zumba class can be a great way to meet new people (at a social distance) and you will feel the buzz of getting fitter and being outdoors.
The great outdoors are hugely beneficial to your mental health. Being surrounded by greenery stimulates the production of dopamine, the happy hormone, and you will find that your circadian rhythm will become more regulated. This will lead to better sleep emerging leaving you feeling more refreshed and happier when you wake up every morning.
Pain
Just because the global pandemic has exploded onto the scene doesn’t mean that the rest of your ailments cease to exist. Chronic pain can be debilitating and cause you great physical and mental distress. It doesn’t matter whether you have a constant dull niggle or whether you suffer from sharp radiating pains, these CBD cream brands can help to soothe and calm the ache. Topical creams can reach deep into tissue and joints to help those back pains, shoulder aches, and knee niggles.
If you are suffering from chronic pain, it’s crucial that you still utilize the help of medical professionals. While Covid-19 may take priority at the moment, there are other ailments, illnesses and injuries that need treating. You are no different. Follow all of the Covid safety precautions and consider visiting your doctor, physio or chiropractor and seek treatment. You may be prescribed something other than medication.
Some doctors now encourage their patients to do something that refocuses their mind away from their pain. Coldwater swimming might not seem like a pleasurable activity but studies have shown that swimming in fresh, cold water such as a lake, can alleviate migraine frequency and intensity. The endorphins that are released into your bloodstream negate the effects of your pain receptors leading to a feeling of being pain-free. These sorts of activities need to be continued on a regular basis to feel the full benefit.
Mental Health
During the global pandemic, there has been plenty of talk about mental health. Being in lockdowns, not having the chance to socialize, and being forced to stay indoors more can take its toll on those people who suffer with anxiety. If you live alone, the feeling of isolation and loneliness can be even more severe. To protect your mental health, you need to be proactive and not succumb to the allure of rubbish food, social media and procrastination.
A social media detox may seem counterintuitive during a lockdown because you want to stay connected with your nearest and dearest. To do this effectively, you need to organize online meet-ups rather than scrolling through your social media feeds for hours at a time. Zoom and Skype are fantastic ways to remain virtually connected during lockdown. You can meet-up with friends for a virtual pub quiz, you can celebrate birthdays with a Zoom-led party, and you can organize a date with your significant other via your Facebook Messenger.
Think about your mental health and work out what triggers your anxieties and stress. For many, this will be the sudden shift to a new normal and the uncertainty surrounding the future. You need to try and channel your thoughts away from those that are intrusive and negative to a more positive mindset. Take up yoga. This is no longer an activity that belongs in the realm of the dreadlocked hippies. Doctors are prescribing yoga and mindfulness courses as an alternative to antidepressants. Yoga will see you following the guidance of a teacher who will encourage you to find new postures for your body. You will increase your flexibility and find that your core becomes stronger. Alongside this, you will learn breathing techniques to lower your stress levels and feel a sense of calmness. Mindfulness alongside yoga will also help to retrain your thoughts. You will learn to stay more in the present rather than worrying about what may or may not happen in the future.
To do something worthwhile for your health, you need to consider doing something new and revolutionary. Covid-19 has made us all reconsider our priorities. Rather than spend your days watching Netflix, surfing the Internet, and getting up late, find a new routine. Think about utilizing this time during lockdown to find a new hobby or something that will engage you to take your mind away from the negativity of the moment.
If you want to learn a new language, sign up for an online class. If you fancy learning the cello, take a free lesson online. And if you want to get back into baking or rustling up some gastronomic feasts in the kitchen, dust off your recipe books and get cooking some healthy meals to shift those extra pounds. By focusing on activities that make you feel good, that you look forward to doing and that benefit your health, you can really embrace a health revolution.
There has never been a more crucial reason to get healthy. You want to stick around for your brood and you want to enjoy the little pleasures in life. By losing weight, staying active and protecting your mental health, you will be in a better place to combat the threat of Covid-19. It’s important to re-evaluate your priorities and use this unique time in your lifetime to work out what is most important to you. Follow this guide and start a health revolution to take forward into 2021.
