OAA - Health during isolation
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OAA

Health During Isolation

These are challenging times for all of us, myself and family included, but I strongly believe there are a few key aspects everyone can benefit from devoting part of their day to.  We are all in this together!

  1. It is important to do some form of daily physical activity.  A great way to start each day and create a routine.  15 – 20 minutes of continuous activity like riding a bike or jogging is great way to stay fit, get your body moving and increase your overall energy for the day.  This type of activity can be done indoors if you have stationary equipment like a treadmill or spin bike.  Additionally, a simple workout that I follow takes about 10-minutes and covers the major muscle groups and no special equipment required.  These activities are also easily modified to make easier or more challenging.  Healthy body = healthy mind.

2 sets of 30: Burpees, Squats, Calf Raises, Leg Lifts, Crunches and Push-ups

  • We have so many ways of communicating and we all want to hear from you.  A simple hello can change someone’s entire mood (including your own).  Take a portion of each day to reach out to someone and check-in.
  • Meal preparation and planning will take full effect as we all minimize our trips away from home.  It is important to properly plan meals and not just indulge in unhealthy choices as a way to distract yourself.  Personally, I snack a lot, so I try and fill my fridge with healthy snack choices that are quick and easy to access, ie. Cut up veggies and fruit.
  • Stay informed.  It is easy to be distracted by opinions and theories surrounding COVID-19, so it is important to stay up to date with trusted resources.  Two resources I use are the government of Canada COVID-19 page and the Canadian Sports Institute, Advisory to COVID-19 Updates

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.htmlhttps://csiontario.ca/news/update-15-advisory-covid-19

https://csiontario.ca/news/update-15-advisory-covid-19

  • Take action on things you would normally not be able to enjoy, or maybe not as much.  I have been reading, which is an activity I usually save for vacations as one example.  Additionally, I have been able to take a step back and reevaluate financial plans, athlete yearly plans, house projects, spring cleaning, re discovering old music, and spend more time with my family.  Call it the new normal, but my pre-COVID schedule proved difficult to fit these things into my daily routine, so I am trying to take full advantage. 

Remember, we are all in this together.  There are lots of resources out there whether you are suffering from mental illness, stress, anxiety or are just looking for someone to talk to.  Three resources I would recommend would be The Canadian Mental Health Association, Kids Help Phone and Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport:

https://cmha.ca/
https://kidshelpphone.ca/
https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/refer

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