Sun’s out buns out — not on the beach — but at home.

Since the beginning of the lockdown, it has been difficult to keep calm about the continuously changing restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Our everyday go-to destinations have been shut down, including the gym. 

But, do not worry! Summer is the best time to get in shape, and working out from home is a great way to give yourself the time to get your day started with physical and mental exercises. Here are some of the things I’ve been doing  to work out and eat healthier during the lockdown. 

1. Start your day with morning stretches. It releases any tension that may have built up while sleeping. After, drink warm water with lemon and ginger; it will cleanse and alkalize your body and give your immune system a boost. Replace coffee with green tea or just water.

2. Regulate your sleeping schedule. Getting proper sleep increases brain function, and helps your energy and weight maintenance. 

Sometimes when working out alone, I tend to get distracted or feel less motivated. To prevent this from happening I usually talk to some friends who are willing to work out with me through phone calls or FaceTime. If no one is free, then playing music out loud or using a fitness app that tracks your progress is also a way to keep motivated. If you don’t like traditional exercises, try dancing. It’s fun and it’s a whole body workout! 

 Maintaining a good diet is just as important as exercising regularly. Regulating your calorie intake is more important to getting in shape than increasing exercise can be. One thing that helped me a lot is that I stopped eating in front of the television. I don’t know about you, but every time I’m watching my shows, I end up eating a larger portion. Another tip is instead of consuming large bags of chips, try creating 100-200 calorie snack packs that can help control your food portion. This makes for a better serving than snacking from a large bowl or right out of the bag. 

Overall, I think being stuck in our homes gives us so much more time in our hands. We can start living a healthier lifestyle. It’s tempting to sit in our beds under our blankets and binge on our quarantine snacks, but we can’t do that everyday! By making these small changes, after the pandemic, we can emerge from our homes and go back to our normal lives as strong and healthy individuals.