The global outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic has pushed the population into their homes to prevent the spread of the disease and to practise social distancing. All companies and industries around the world have asked their employees to work from home indefinitely until the dangers of this pandemic simmer down. While most people have undergone a swift transmission to be active and fit while working remotely, others are confused because of this sudden shift of scenery of their workplace. And most of the people are constantly sitting in one position for hours with their neck and face bent into their laptops and computers.
World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or a combination of both and has given explicit examples of home-based exercises. Furthermore, popular workout apps such as Peloton, Nike, SoulCycle have either waived off their premium subscription plans indefinitely or have provided additional benefits of free workout plans or schedules to remain and active in this quarantine period. Many health organisations and nutritionists are also advising to eat a balanced diet and meditate regularly to beat the stress and anxiety, especially that originates from hearing any news of COVID-19 cases on the media.
Timothy Howell, an athletic training professor at the Saint Louis University, has also given some advice to shake off the feeling of a sedentary lifestyle. He recommends using this time to develop your creative passion in any field one may have. He advises to walk within your home, no matter how small the space is, and to use the internet to your advantage to do online courses and remote learning.
While the doctors, nurses, and police forces are working on the front line to get rid of this pandemic, we must not get agitated of being in quarantine. We should make the most of this time to build ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally to kill this disease, all the while remaining safe and sound in our homes.
Dibyasha Das