United Nations World Health Day- Wednesday April 7
Just over a year ago, the entire world had to learn how to live at least 6-ft apart from each other and how to make life work while being stuck at home. The pandemic changed everyone’s life in one way or another; and for families that value their health and maintain their workout regimens daily, the closings of gyms and mandated mask-wearing in public adapted people to insert home gyms or find alternative ways to exercise at home.
April 7, 2021 is the #UnitedNationsWorldHealthDay, which over the past 50 years has brought to light important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care, and climate change. The celebration is marked by activities which extend beyond the day itself and serves as an opportunity to focus worldwide attention on these important aspects of global health.
Why should we maintain a healthy lifestyle? Why is being health-conscious so important? We are all guilty of trying diets and having cheat days, fasting until we eat so much we get sick, working out for a few weeks and giving up, or just not even trying because of how intimidating working out can seem. The truth is, you can work out and eat healthy and still not have the body of a model. Every person’s body is unique to them, and that means that it could take time for you to find what individually works for you. However, the motivation behind living a healthier life shouldn’t just be to look “better”, but to feel better and live a longer life. The goal is to prevent chronic diseases and terminal illnesses. However, another goal is to be intelligent and use our brain to its fullest capabilities, and in order to do so, physical health is key. Its proven that individuals that work out, have higher scores of memory and alertness, and process information quicker. Reaction time is faster too, which could be a life-saving factor all on its own merit.
The theme for #worldhealthday2021 is Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone, which identifies and brings awareness to a few of the ways that Covid-19 has undercut recent health gains, pushed more people into poverty and food insecurity, and amplified gender, social and health inequities.
How to build a gym at home on a budget (less than $500.00):
Link to video:
Tips;
Make working out and living a healthy lifestyle a habit.
Losing weight and being healthy is more about DIET and WHAT YOU EAT (not cutting meals or calories, but eating healthier overall)-a person can work out all they want but if they aren’t as healthy on the inside as they are on the outside then they aren’t as healthy as they need to be.
Drink TONS of water, literally as much water as possible and then drink some more.
It’s recommended in the medical community for adults to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week. Moderate activities make you breathe as hard as you would during a brisk walk. Vigorous activities use your large muscle groups and make your heart beat faster, make you breathe faster and deeper, and make you sweat. Physical activity can be helpful for your sleep, mood, and energy.
Limit sedentary behaviors such as sitting, lying down, watching television, or other kinds of screen time. OR…
Get Moving when and where you can! Take a walk outside if it’s a nice day or walk inside around the house if it isn’t. Walk fast enough to speed up your heart rate and break a sweat. Walk up and down your stairs. If you don’t have stairs or much open space, you can do jumping jacks, or walk or jog in place. Try to keep moving for at least 10 minutes. Take every other step to give your legs a good workout. Turn on the radio and dance in the house, alone or with your partner. If you’re on social media or can search the internet, check for live-streaming exercise sessions or activity challenges that you can participate in. Stand up and fold laundry while you watch TV or listen to music.
Make household chores count. Mop or vacuum fast enough to get your heart pumping. Have young children or pets at home? Playing with them can burn more than 200 calories per hour. Yard work and gardening are also ways to burn calories and strengthen your arm, leg, and back muscles. Pushing a lawn mower, raking leaves, shoveling, and other outdoor chores can be an effective workout. Use stay-at-home time for projects you may have been putting off. Cleaning out the garage or attic is another way to be productive and active at the same time.
If you’re working or taking online classes from home: Stand up or walk around while you read and answer emails and other messages on your laptop or phone. Take a short walk during lunch or break. Set an alarm on your computer or phone to remind you to take an activity break.
Watch yoga videos on YouTube, yoga and stretching in general is a workout on its own and should be incorporated into weekly schedules, ESPECIALLY for people who workout, experience high levels of stress, and/or sit at a desk all day.
Mental-Emotional Healthy; Having a healthy mind is the most important and key aspect to this entire post. Most of us struggled with mental health during the pandemic; whether it be from financial stress, the death or illness of loved ones, loss of a job or being underpaid as an essential employee, not being able to see or hug or touch or kiss our family members and closest friends, being forced to stay anti-social and stuck with nothing but social media for entertainment, etc., no matter what the reasons for your sadness or anger or frustration or just, stress- the reasons are all valid. And this is why many people so easily gave up on working out or cleaning or eating healthy or living their lives in general. Having positive mental health is crucial to starting and maintaining and healthy life.
Stress-Reducing Strategies include giving yourself breaks from social media. Social media can be a very toxic environment at times, so making sure you put your phone down and do something in real time, in the real world, is going to significantly reduce stress and make you happier overall. They also include surrounding yourself with people that fit your vibe and energy. If you surround yourself with negativity, that’s what your life will be filled with.
Personally, Pinterest is the perfect platform for looking up anything and everything from quotes, home items, and fashion all the way to recipes and workouts! I have found endless recipes and workouts for all body types, palettes, and special dietary conditions such as gluten and dairy-free. Resist the urge to snack during the day. If you’re working from home, work in a room that’s not close to the kitchen. If you do snack, which actually isn’t bad if it's contributing to the 6-small-meals-a-day method, then make sure you choose healthy alternatives with low salt, carbs, and sugars.
Follow the links below to view the Most Effective Exercises you can do anywhere!
