Staying Athletic During A Community Quarantine

As nations grapple with the colossal impact of this worldwide pandemic known as the Coronavirus, citizens must remain indoors to prevent further spread of the virus. This is after governments imposed temporary laws to self-quarantine, limiting the amount of exposure of the already healthy individuals to the virus.

As tough as these measures can seem to be, it’s for everyone’s good and honestly, it has undoubtedly helped to flatten the infection curve. Adapting to a lockdown lifestyle is no easy thing but it just has to be done, right? 

While at home, you must stay healthy and fit. This means exercising as often as you can as this will help improve your health status. Staying athletic during community quarantine is critical. Nothing is impossible. That small space in your house or compound is enough to normalize your life and bring back some clarity. Recently, the American Heart Association clarified that physical activity is like medication to your systems.

With that out of the way, here’s how to stay athletic during a community quarantine.

1. Play Your Favorite Indoor and Outdoor Sports

Quarantine doesn’t mean that your backyard is a no go zone. Of course, you’ll want to ensure that your compound is free from outside exposure. Playing your favorite sports will help get the quarantine edge off. For basketball lovers, find an in-ground basketball goal. You can put these in the ground or alternatively, find those portable ones and start shooting some hoops.

This will help keep your skills intact. In addition to this, it will provide you with a great opportunity to spend time with your spouse, kids, and anyone else who’s in your household. There are so many other sports you play indoors including table tennis, squash, Wii sports, and beer pong (for those who want to mix some fun with sports). 

2. Create For Yourself an Active Schedule 

If you are not keen, you’ll be Netflixing the whole day with bags of potato chips and at the end of the day, all your health and fitness goals will be thrown out the window. And by all means, this is not the time to be a couch potato.

It’s time for you to get active because once the situation normalizes and the quarantines are uplifted, it will take you more time to adapt to yet another lifestyle. So, now is the time to get active. 

Here are tips to fill your day with activities even when on lockdown:

• If you have a secured compound, then it’s time to wear some gloves and get digging. You’ll at some point come to appreciate your hard work when there are carrots, onions, potatoes, and what have you in your backyard garden. This is a great way to stay fit.
• Get cleaning people! Your house cleaner is nowhere to be seen but they are calling to let you know that they are doing well and to tell you that they are also indoors. So it’s time to take matters into your own hands by doing the house chores you’d otherwise have foregone before the quarantine. This is your opportunity to disinfect your home, take care of your air conditioning system by changing the filters, and ensuring that there are no loopholes for contamination. Because to keep fit means breathing clean and fresh air.
• Declutter – The garbage trucks are still passing by your place so you don’t need to worry about how to dispose of your junk. Decluttering will also provide you with an opportunity to get active.

3. Check What You Eat

An athletic lifestyle should also include a diet program. When on quarantine, there are a few necessities you’ll have to forego because most grocery stores are closed. But if you can get hold of nutritional supplements online, they’ll help replace the vital vitamins and nutrients you’re missing from food. And with the increased hours you’re spending indoors, your eating habits might change.

You may find yourself stocking up on more carbs than usual. Monitoring your diet is key to staying athletic during a community quarantine. Avoid refined carbs, spicy foods, calories, and fats. Protect your hearty while at it!

4. Have Time for Walking, Standing, and Practice Indoor Exercises 

Who said you cannot walk while on quarantine. Hey, you can also run! Though this will all depend on the amount of space you have in your house, there are ways you can leverage on this. If you don’t have a treadmill, you can have one delivered right at your doorstep because as it turns out, online shops are still open. And that’s the main perk of online shopping. You can also walk around your house, climb on those few stairs just to get you warmed up and active.  

While on the same note, there are plenty of home-based exercises you can modify and do to keep you fit. These are indoor activities you can perform with little to no equipment. Examples include; knee to elbow exercises, planks, press-ups, back extensions, yoga, chair dips, squats, side knee lifts, steps, and jumping ropes. You can as well do weight lifting if you have the equipment for it. Fortunately, there’s online fitness training for you. All you need is an internet connection when live streaming or alternatively, download an offline workout app and you are good to go. 

The main objective of this guide is to help you maintain both your physical and mental health. Don’t fall victim to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors just because you’re on community quarantine. But most importantly, don’t forget to entertain yourself. You still need to maintain your sanity and having some fun will help in this area.