Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
On March 16, 2020, our entire world changed as everything shut down, almost overnight. Our routines and habits that we had worked for months or years to create went straight out the window in an effort to hunker down with our families and ride this out for the projected two-week closure. Then two weeks turned to four; you know the rest of the story. Here we are 15 months later. All of that home time has potentially added up to some extra ‘covid weight’ Now is the best time to get started on re-setting your body, resetting your energy and getting remotivated in the right direction. But where and how do you start? Here are some tips:
Step 1. START SMALL
We are just learning to re-adapt to going out and interacting with people. We are just learning how to incorporate our new work-life balance. Instead of trying to change seven things at once, change one thing for seven days. A good example is hydration. Start by drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day. Another small but impactful but impactful goal is to wake up five minutes earlier each day for a week. Use this time for meditation or simply to reflect on the previous day and what is to come.
Step 2. GET MOVING
You need one piece of equipment to go on a walk – a good pair of sneakers! It is worth investing in a tracker (there are several types of exercise trackers on the market) to track your steps. If you hit a goal of 10,000 steps daily, you can burn 2000-3500 extra calories each week. Look at where you are with your steps, and try to add 10% until you get to 10,000.
Step 3. USE YOUR BODY
An Internet search on ‘body weight workout’ yielded 16,100,000 results! In 2013, the New York Times posted an article called ‘The Scientific 7-minute workout.’ This involved twelve basic body weight exercises for 30 minutes each completed in rapid succession. This is a safe and efficient option for time crunched individuals. Remember, it involves body weight and a chair, so this can be done at home, at the park or the office! There is even an app for that! Check out this workout video based on The Scientific 7-minute workout.
Step 4. ENLIST A BUDDY
This can be a colleague or friend who also needs support. Working out with a friend is always more fun. Creating a social connection can lead to lower anxiety and depression and help us regulate our emotions. If you take a walk with a friend, you gain the physical benefits of the walk and the connection benefits of the talk. Maybe your friend isn’t local. What about setting up a commitment challenge? Goal of 10,000 steps a day. Text each other and send sweaty selfies when you hit your goal. Ask them to check on you if they haven’t gotten that selfie!
Bonus tip! MEAL PLAN
Is your favorite question of the day, “what’s for dinner?” By the time someone asks that question around 4:00-5:00 PM, we have used up all of our good decision making capabilities for the day. As a result, we often opt for the easiest, fastest and probably the least nutritious option. If you create a meal plan on Sunday, grocery shop, and prep the items in advance, when you get to 5:00 and dinner time, you are ready for that nutritious and delicious dinner.
