Most of us are stuck at home during the COVID-19 quarantine and there is a serious risk of all of us becoming inactive! In other words, if we spend too much time watching TV and living our lives through our computers, we could develop some health problems. So keep a bounce in your step! Even if you’re stuck at home! Inactivity consequences can REALLY hurt!
The most obvious consequence to inactivity is gaining weight. We all know that. And most of us also know that sitting around too much will cause our muscles to lose strength. But there are other way more serious consequences.
Did you know that lack of exercise will cause the mineral content in our bones to decrease? They’ll actually become weaker! That’s not all. It gets worse. Lack of exercise also slows down our metabolism and makes it harder for our body to break down fats and sugars. This is a problem because a build up of fat is a precursor to diabetes and other serious health problems like high blood pressure.
Considering that we are all quarantined because COVID-19 is a powerful virus that is killing up to 2% of the people it infects, you might be horrified to know that inactivity weakens our immune system.
On top of that, lack of exercise leads to poor blood circulation, which causes inflammation. If you already have an injury or inflammation, inactivity will make it worse and it will hurt.
Another inactivity consequence? You may not know this but a lack of exercise can even cause a hormonal imbalance! Yes, your mood can deteriorate from a lack of exercise. The last thing you need is to be grumpy around your family who can’t get away from you!
Most of us are banned from using basketball courts, tennis courts, or any fields at our local parks. This makes it much harder to get the exercise we need. But that can’t be an excuse for inactivity. We do not want to make our bodies weaker in the face of a global pandemic!
That’s why it is more important now than ever before to exercise. I know, sometimes your house isn’t the most motivating place to work out, especially with your family close by. So, you have to create a space that’s motivating. Fill your space with some stimulating colors and images. Also, get some good music playing. If you live in an apartment, it may not be possible to blast the speakers. But I found some refurbished Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones on wish for only 20 bucks. And they are awesome! Loud motivating music that doesn’t bother anyone!
When you workout, you should focus on cardiovascular exercises. Jumping jacks. Jumping squats. Ice skaters. Running in place. You should get your heart rate up and keeping it there for 20 minutes or more a day. There are smart watches and heart monitors that you can purchase that keep track of your heart rate. One such brand is My Zone, which gives you heart rate targets to hit to maximize fat burning and building endurance.
You can also do light weight lifting with objects in your house. For example, take your kids backpack and fill it with books. You can use this to do bicep curls, chest presses, shoulder presses or just to add some extra weight when you do lunges and squats.
If you get stuck and don’t know how to exercise, just go to YouTube and search for at home workouts. There are hundreds.
The bottom line is it’s a really bad idea to become inactive and let your body fall apart right now. There are major health complications associated with inactivity. Conversely, 20 minutes of exercise a day does your body wonders. It keeps your mood positive. It helps your heart stay healthy. It even boosts your immune system.
So, keep exercising and keep drinking ionized water to stay hydrated. This combination will keep your body strong and help you avoid inactivity consequences. When this is all over, you will emerge a healthy, happy person!
