Mother nature has decided to send the entire human race indoors to introspect. Well, that’s the only way to get through this. It could be a bit of a challenge for most people but more so for those who are addicted to seeing the sunrise, smelling fresh grass, watching the sky uninterruptedly or simply looking forward to that brekky with buddies after a satisfying workout session. Yes, we are referring to the ones who like to tighten their shoelaces every morning and cover miles after miles in pursuit of getting better, commonly known as runners Or health freaks! Even though most don’t agree with the  latter politically correct terminology, for them it’s just way of life. The good thing is they will mostly be curious at this point of time because their minds will be childlike and looking for solutions all around them. Restless hands and feet must be tapping on the most non-hummable songs just in the pursuit of keeping body parts moving.

While at home, there is no need to relapse! We have put together for you the top 5 things that are doable to remain healthy at home, and together we will get through and emerge much stronger on the other side of this. So, let’s get the list rolling.

Eat Right

Understanding the basics as to why we eat is key here. Food is a form of energy, it’s needed for regular functions and to get through a day. Predominantly divided into 3 macronutrients – Carbs, Protein, and Fats. A healthy combination of these three in proportions depending upon the time of day the meal is being consumed is essential to maintain a balanced diet. The next thing to understand is ‘that craving’ for food kicks in due to three reasons – you are hungry probably its mealtime, you are thirsty (yes! Body does not know how to tell the difference!) or you are simply bored and looking for something exciting. With reduced activity and easy access to kitchen, chances are the last two reasons will encourage you to reach out for that favorite snack. How to fight it? Simple – make a goal to drink 4 lts of water per day. How to achieve it? Even simpler – break down and make smaller goals – eg – 1 L in the morning after waking up (watch your bowels smile), 1 L each before lunch and dinner and as much after dinner. Remember to keep the 30mins gap post and pre eating meals.

Plan your meals, why does each meal need to be celebratory in nature? Take this opportunity to take charge of what you put in your mouth. Plenty of healthy recipes are available online to experiment with family. Try and keep your dinner the lightest and use these days to get into eating an early dinner. Attempt to keep a 2hrs gap between dinner and sleep.

Don’t Break Your Routine

If you have been struggling with a bad routine, well you have time to correct this. Make an effort and put it back on track, don’t worsen it by binging on late-night TV shows just because ‘there isn’t much to do tomorrow’. Make a to-do list at the start of the day and get things done, you will feel empowered and engaged throughout your day. If you aren’t tired at night, maybe you haven’t done enough in the day, start thinking of what can be done to get you tired at night.

On the other end, if you are an active person, more reasons why you shouldn’t be laxing. Once all this is over it will be a fight to get back to early morning routine! So, if you were waking up at 5 am, continue to do so! Getting upset or feeling dejected because you cannot meet your workout buddies or smell the fresh grass is ok. Here we need to channelize all our energies to thinking that we are doing it in the public interest. Try video calling them and checking what they are up to? Maybe they are feeling equally lonely?

Keep that body moving – time to get creative

They say the man is the most intelligent animal, if there is a problem thrown at him, he will get through it easier than other animals. Well, time to put that to test! If you haven’t been active, this is a golden opportunity to get active with your family. Involve your children, spouse, parents and whoever else you can within the home space. Abundant workout videos are available online, from yoga to no equipment strength training options, available on a click! Encourage everyone and make it a habit, you will be surprised with the results you see. You might get back to office lighter, feeling fitter may be geared to get back to that long lost hobby that you thought you are too old to get back to. Do you know the only way to remain young is to keep toning your muscles? They are the only organ that regenerates.

It’s the right time to get creative – do you stay in a high story building? Then run up and down the stairs. With house help also on holiday, clean up the house, if done right it’s a great workout. Many drills are possible to do in a limited space, you don’t need those fancy cones as markers, use objects from home. Missing the gym weights? Try finding objects that are heavy, how about a 2-3 ltr water-filled bottle or a flowerpot? Whatever be the excuse, the time is right to fight out the excuse. After all, will people really believe you if you said ‘time nahitha?’ Stop making excuses and jump right ahead of the line.

Hope you have heard of that guy who ran 42kms in his 23ft balcony? If not, now you have!

Be Socially active, (even with distancing) – share your workouts

Humans love affirmation and recognition, that’s precisely why we are called social beings and the social media flourishes. We like to hear what ‘others’ have to say about our actions. Social validation is pretty addictive, we become a mini-celebrity even if it’s in the eyes of a handful of people. If you ever thought that you have content enough to attract followers, time is to test it out now. Some of the creative content available out there – time-lapse of families working out together, an elderly person running 21kms in his house and his family supporting him with hydration and nutrition. Why not get creative with your family and make some stuff and then post it?

They say we heal faster in the company of loved ones, so don’t stop talking to your friends and family. They must be lonely too! Graham Bell invented something that will keep us always connected – the telephone. It’s the best way to keep close and yet not contract the virus.

Meditation

Keeping your sanity is the toughest of the fight, as they say when you cannot go out, go in. It’s a great time to introspect. By meditation we mean learning the art of tolerating, accepting, being positive and finding your center. Let’s take them one by one!

Tolerating – When stepping out isn’t an option, all family members have to learn to co-exist. Yes, it can be unnerving, a bit uneasy to live with each other with 100% being OK with the other person. Here is when you need to learn how to deal with the character nuances of the other person. Ways to deal with it, get out of each other’s faces, like you would on a normal day, don’t let boredom claw each other’s faces. Agree to meet at common times, like mealtimes, news time, for the rest find a spot where you can work or do your tasks.

Accepting – No matter how hard you try, it will be tough to get out of each other’s faces, it’s time to accept, let go, deal with it as the generation Y says it, make peace with it and move on.

Being positive – This virtue will help you develop in all spheres of life. Find your happy spot, visit it and learn to be there in adverse situations. There is enough negative news pouring in, interaction with family members can get boring, and other things crowd your thoughts. But if you are positive, it’s infectious, it will help pull through.

Find your center – If you already have a goal in mind, it’s the right time to think about how you will achieve it, if you don’t, take this time to introspect. Well, they say time is money for nothing. Trust us, if you use this time wisely, have a game plan in place once all this over you will be able to go much much further.

Here’s to remaining positive, fit and active during this gloomy period. We wish everyone out there remain healthy and do their bit to contribute to the community in all possible ways.

Jai Hind