Health tips for youngsters to stay fit during Corona

 

You can either practice some Natural Health Tips or workout at home using some basic equipment like skipping ropes, dumbbells, etc.

As many of us are being told to hunker down in our apartments and houses and limit trips outside and social contact, things are feeling pretty “real” at this point. Aside from the general worry, people may have about their physical health as they digest the news from around the world and here at home, there’s the larger toll this is taking on our collective mental health. Lots of organizations have put forth guidelines to help combat the stress of the coronavirus pandemic, and with good reason: One of the main weapons we have to fight the virus is social distancing—a deeply unnatural practice for humans, but an essential one.

Here are some of the mental health practices to make sure to keep doing—or begin doing, for some of us—during the lockdown period.

Have a routine

We know how important routine is, especially for kids, under normal conditions. And when schools are closed and many people are working from home or told to stay at home, it might feel like all bets are off. But it’s actually much better for everyone’s mental health to try to keep a routine going, as much as possible.

“Studies in resiliency during traumatic events encourage keeping a routine to your day,” says Deborah Serani, PsyD, professor of psychology at Adelphi University and author of "Sometimes When I'm Sad.” “This means eating meals at regular times, sleeping, walking and exercising at set times, and maintaining social (socially distant) contact. Unstructured time can create boredom, spikes in anxiety, or depression, which can lead to unhealthy patterns of coping.”

Another reason is that keeping a routine reduces “decision fatigue,” the overwhelm and exhaustion that can come from too many options. So in the morning, rather than wondering whether to start work or help the kids with their online learning, it’s better to know what you’re going to do—make a schedule that everyone can get on board with, and try to stick with it (as much as is possible—don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t always work, and it’s sure not to work some days).

This will free up some mental bandwidth during this time of uncertainty, which is already straining everyone’s cognitive capacities.

Start an at-home exercise routine

This is much easier in the country or suburbs, but if you’re in the city and it’s feasible, shimmy past your building neighbors and go for a walk in the park. Remember to stay six feet away from other people—as city dwellers know, this can take some maneuvering, but it’s possible.

And there are some very good reasons to do so. Lots of recent research finds that spending time in nature is a boon to both mental and physical health. For instance, multiple studies have found that time in green and blue space is associated with reduced anxiety and depression, and the connection may well be a causal one.

On the physical side, an interesting meta-analysis in the journal Environmental Research a couple of years ago found that people who spent more time “forest bathing,” also known as shinrin yoku, had significantly reduced risk for chronic health issues, including reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol, lower heart rate, and reduced all-cause mortality and death from heart disease.

But what’s fascinating is that it doesn’t seem to have to do with just the extra activity, the sunshine, or the air quality (though these certainly play a role). Forest bathing may actually help the immune system: One mechanism is thought to be through the chemicals that trees release, phytoncides—some studies have found that people who spent more time in nature had a greater activity of immune cells known as natural killer cells.

So get out to the park and breathe in some phytoncides (making sure to practice good social distancing, of course)—it will be a very good habit for body and mind.

Maintain community and social connection

As mentioned, we’re fundamentally social creatures, and during crises, it’s natural to want to gather. Social connectivity is perhaps the greatest determinant of wellbeing there is, as this landmark 80-year-long study from Harvard reported, and one of our most basic psychological needs.

Unfortunately, it’s the opposite of what we can do right now, so we have to be creative, to maintain both psychological closeness and a sense of community. Texting and social media are ok, but picking up the phone and talking or videoconferencing, or having a safe-distance conversation on the street, is probably much better.

Be of service, from a distance

Being of service is one of the best things we can do for society—and on a more selfish note, for ourselves. Studies have repeatedly found that serving others, even via small acts of kindness, has strong and immediate mental health benefits.

And feeling a sense of purpose has also been shown to help people recover from negative events and build resilience. For people who are lucky enough to be healthy right now and not caring for a loved one who’s sick, finding ways to help others in this kind of crisis is probably very good for your own well-being.

Let yourself off the hook

This might be the most important thing to keep in mind—don’t beat yourself up when things are not going perfectly in your household. On top of everything else, being upset with yourself is totally counterproductive. If the kids watch too much Netflix or play too many hours of video games, it’s not the end of the world.

Things are going to be hairy for a while, and if you can’t stick to your schedule or can’t fit in your at-home workout every day, it’s really not such a big deal in the long run. It’s much more valuable to everyone to cut yourself some slack, use the time to reflect on the important things, and try to keep a sense of “we’re all in this together” at the forefront.