A nutritionist’s guide to cleaning up your nutrition and exercise during the longest quarantine ever.
Quarantine has not been easy, despite the memes telling us all we had to do to save the world was sit on the couch. Hanging out at home with our families sounded like fun when we only thought it would last for a month, but here we are over five months later and it’s not as much fun anymore. This may not actually be the longest quarantine in history, but for those of us living through it, it definitely feels that way.
If you’ve gained a few pounds, eaten more dessert than dinner or even lost your drive to hit the gym, you’re not alone. Our physical health was one of the first things affected by shutdowns! It was harder to get healthy foods and we were shut out of gyms. Even as a nutritionist I struggled with my health!
But one of the things that I know about health is that it’s never too late to get back on track! If you’ve gained the “Quarantine 15” and feel lost or helpless, you can still get back on track! These tips can get you on the right path, but if you want to join a community of women who are ready to commit to their health then, join my free Quarantine Clean Your Nutrition & Exercise challenge starting Aug. 17!
Make healthy food choices daily
The best place to start with your health is your diet. Exercise is absolutely important to healthy living, and we’ll talk more about it in a minute, but fueling your body with foods that nourish you is where you’re going to see the most changes.
That being said, I don’t want you to go out and buy only veggies and try a hundred new recipes tomorrow. I guarantee that if you try and change everything all at once, you will give up in a week and you’ll feel like a failure.
Instead, try making one extra healthy choice every day. Take the good things you’re already doing and build on them. For example, if you already have a serving of veggies at every dinner, then add another serving at lunch. Once you master that, add something else in.
Making small daily changes to our routines and habits is how we actually create big differences in our lives. You don’t have to do it all and you don’t’ have to be perfect in order to live a healthy life! Every small step counts!
Move your body in ways that make you happy
Now that we’ve covered food, let’s talk about exercise. Moving your body has so many benefits! A lot of them are physical, improve weight loss, reduce heart disease, strengthen bones and muscles. But there are a lot of mental benefits to exercise as well, which during stressful times like a never-ending quarantine can be crucial!
A lot of people don’t know how to get in the habit of exercising or they believe that in order to be healthy you have to be a gym rat. Both of these excuses can be easily overcome with one simple fact: any movement improves your health.
If you aren’t in the habit of exercising, then I always suggest you just get out and start going for a walk! Taking a five-minute walk is better than not moving at all! Plus exercise habits are built the same way that food habits are built! It just takes doing a little more today than you did yesterday!
The other tip I tell all my clients is that if you don’t’ exercise, then you aren’t going to do it. While I love crushing weights in the gym, that’s not for everyone! If you hate running, then don’t run. Maybe you’re a yogi, that’s awesome! If you don’t know what you like, then try a bunch of different types of workouts. YouTube is full of free options for you to try!
It’s recommended that we do at least 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week. If you’re starting out, work your way up to that. But never forget to give your body time to rest and recover! Rest days help prevent injuries and burn out!
Mind your mental health
One of the aspects of our health that has been hit the hardest by the Coronavirus pandemic has been our mental health. Most of us don’t love feeling trapped in our own homes. I’ve seen my clients go through cycles of conquering quarantine and then being defeated by it. And that’s ok!
Life is a cycle, not a straight line. You’re going to ebb and flow through emotions of happiness and frustration. When you’re in those frustration phases, be gentle on yourself! The worst thing we can do is continue to beat ourselves up.
However, you may need to sit in those phases in order to come out stronger on the other side. I call it “sitting in the suck.” During this time, I like to pull out my journal and free write about what’s going on and how I feel. Putting those thoughts on paper can really make a difference in how we get through it.
Here are a few more ideas on how to help your mental health when you’re not feeling your best.
Take a social media break
Read more books
Rest!
Move your body!
Talk with a friend or therapist
Drink more water
Eat foods that you’re excited about
Serve someone else
We don’t know when quarantine will end, but that doesn’t mean we should put off taking care of ourselves. Our health is one of the things that we can control during this time. If you’re feeling stuck or lost, then put yourself in the driver's seat and choose to make better, healthier choices.
The free challenge I’m hosting will definitely help you create healthy habits that will outlast quarantine, so don’t wait, go register today! Plus, I am giving away some really valuable prizes to help you stay healthy for a lifetime!
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