After a long enough time in the comfort of your own home, it’s easy to fall into routines that benefit short-term happiness, but not long-term health. After all—who wants to make the bed every morning?
Is it so wrong to leave last night’s dishes piled up in the sink? Do I need to exercise every day?
Herbalife Nutrition is committed to keeping you safe and healthy for the long term, and a lot of that can take place right at home to make your time there healthy and constructive.
1. Rethink the term “exercise.”
Exercise is a loaded term. It conjures up images of long-distance runners, 90-minute kettlebell classes, and mandatory trips to the gym five days a week.
General physical activity, such as a long-distance walk, is not as highly regarded as spending hours at the gym. However, if you ask your doctor what could be considered “exercise,” you’ll likely get a much more straightforward answer.
Exercise merely requires that you elevate your heart rate from a resting BPM intensity to moderate or strenuous intensity for at least thirty minutes. The good news? If you don’t like running, kettlebells, or Zumba, there are other ways to achieve this.
- If you’re just starting a new exercise routine, try taking a brisk walk. If you have a smartwatch, judging whether you are walking briskly enough to elevate your heart rate should be easy. If you don’t have one of these devices, you can measure whether you are exercising with a simple test: Time how many steps you walk in a minute. Brisk walkers should aim to take about 100 steps per minute.
- Enjoy free online workouts. Performing exercise in combination with balanced nutrition will improve your overall sense of well-being, improve your body composition, and positively impact your body confidence. Free workouts available online provide the flexibility to fit in fitness when it is most convenient.
- Instructional Dance Videos. Dance covers everything from artistic expression to physical fitness. It can be elaborate, symbolic, or just silly. Whatever you draw from it, one thing is for sure—you get a workout from any form of dance you do. For anyone who wants to dance without worrying about creating their own choreography, YouTube is full of instructional videos for just about any dance out there. If you’re stuck indoors with a loved one, consider two-stepping videos to connect with them. If you’re dancing solo, an upbeat hip-hop or pop dance routine allows you to listen to your favorite music while working out.
- Yoga isn’t just for stretching. Many people miss out on the health benefits of yoga by believing it is only suitable for stretching and flexibility improvement. Studies have shown that daily yoga practice improves cardiovascular function, promotes further physical activity by increasing strength and flexibility, and benefits your mood. Some yoga practices can even elevate your heart rate as much as running would. Great for small spaces, yoga can be a gentle or tough indoor physical activity.
- Climb some trees. Want to feel like a kid again and have a tree in your backyard? Maybe you belong to a climbing gym and want to engage your climbing muscles differently. If you have a tree or two in your yard, you can quench your thirst for the rock wall by climbing a tree. If you’re a first-time climber, be sure not to go higher than you feel comfortable. Additionally, all climbers should exercise caution before scaling a tree. However, if you like nature, climbing a tree is a great way to engage most of the muscles in your body as well as appreciating nature.
One final note: If you’re spending a lot of time inside, you might find it harder to engage in the physical activity you’re used to doing.
Herbalife Nutrition just wants to encourage everyone reading this to continue taking care of their body in the best way possible, which includes listening to it. If you’re too tired to do strenuous exercise, or even if you’re not feeling mentally well enough for vigorous exercise, opt for something more straightforward than you usually would.
Any sort of physical activity is better for you than none. While moderate physical activity is safe for most people, always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.
2. Get as much sleep as possible
Most people love the feeling of good, refreshing sleep. Unfortunately, modern work schedules are not always conducive to getting a decent night’s sleep. Over time, this impacts the body and the mind.
Americans have lost over two hours of sleep on average per night since 1910, and it’s absolutely affecting their bodies. Type 2 diabetes and heart issues are on the rise in the United States, and they can definitively be linked to, among other things, a lack of sleep.
Seven hours of sleep per night is the recommended minimum. However, you can reap the most benefit from rest with eight-to-ten hours.
Additionally, to get the proper amount of sleep, it helps to optimize your sleep schedule whenever possible. Start by creating a healthy sleep routine. Most people work too late, and screen time severely impacts sleep quality.
Turn off all electronics at least a half an hour before bed – ideally an hour or more beforehand. Stay out of bed until you are feeling tired, and instead of watching television to lull yourself to sleep, read a book, journal, or meditate.
Also, consider a sleep mask to block out additional light. Finally, make sure your bathroom routine is done right before bed to avoid having to wake up in the middle of the night.
Having a healthy sleep routine is just the first piece of the puzzle. Set your alarm every day, and be sure to wake up and go to sleep at the same.
Daily exercise will also help provide your body with enough energy during the day, and it will also help tired it out enough for bed. Drink plenty of water and eat foods that provide your body with its daily recommended nutrients.
In addition to your typical grocery routine, you can add to your diet with vitamins and supplements, like Herbalife Nutrition’s nutrient-rich products. Don’t drink too much alcohol and limit your caffeine intake. Doing this daily will help you foster a better night’s sleep.
3. Eat healthy foods when you can—and when you can’t, don’t beat yourself up over it.
A healthy diet does well to support a healthy immune system. Antioxidant-rich foods, like berries and nuts, reduce the impact of free radicals in your body.
Free radicals are the cause of oxidative stress, which has been linked to a myriad of issues, including cancer. Iron-rich foods are often used by athletes and can help to increase your energy.
Healthy protein and Omega-3s help your mind focus as well as preventing depression and anxiety. And, let’s be honest, a little bit of chocolate after a hard day of work can increase your happiness, too.
Variety in your diet can help keep you healthy. Why? Because when you feed your body correctly, your immune system can refocus all its energy on the invading forces in your body, like viruses.
However, if you can’t get to the store once a week (for some of us, getting there every other week is a challenge!), you might find it difficult to give your body the healthy diet it needs.
Stock up on frozen and can fruits and vegetables the next time you go to the grocery store, and opt for whole-grain pasta and bread when you can. If you run out of vegetables and can’t make it out, don’t stress (stress is terrible for your body and your immune system).
Just continue to eat your meals and perhaps supplement your diet with a nutrient dense meal replacement shake, like one of the many available through Herbalife Nutrition.
4. Prevent the spread of germs
To stop the spread of germs, remember to routinely follow these simple tips:
- Wash your hands. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds after you use the restroom, after sneezing or coughing, before eating, or before preparing meals. Not only will this prevent you from passing germs to others, but it will also prevent you from ingesting them yourself.
- Clean and disinfect. Take the time to clean and disinfect high-touch areas in your home like countertops, any home gym equipment, door knobs and light switches.
- Wash your produce. Properly washed fruit and vegetables prevent soil-borne pathogens, bacteria, and pesticides from entering your body.
5. Practice proper mental health
Try and take some time to reflect on your thoughts. You don’t need to necessarily meditate in the traditional sense (but if you like to meditate, please do).
Write down your feelings or talk to someone about them rather than keeping them inside. Avoid digital places that trigger thoughts of anxiety, such as social media or news sites.
Finally, make sure to set aside some time. Whether that means drinking a delicious shake on your patio at the start of your day or spending an hour reading a book before bed, you’ll find you feel better if you spend some time nurturing yourself from the inside out.
Need more tips for staying healthy? Visit Herbalife Nutrition’s blog for more tips and tricks on keeping yourself fit for the long-run.
