Written by Alice Topaloff
Hey everyone! Alice (Operations Coordinator) here with some tips on taking care of your body in the midst of this unprecedented time. During the first week of our family’s quarantine, I found that days were running into each other, my routine was off, I wasn’t getting anything done, and the last thing I was doing was taking care of was my body. The ‘nice’ thing is, we’re all in the same boat, and there are a ton of creative and thoughtful people out there (including my friend/coworker Lydia) sharing great ideas!. I’m also learning from my friends and family in France (where I’m from), who have been on mandatory shelter in place for a couple of weeks now. Anyway, here is a list of tips/resources I found helpful in taking care of the body you exist in while homebound!
Also, huge shoutout to Lydia (Youth Program Specialist) for their help in pulling this list together and checking me 🙂
- First, being stuck at home while something scary is happening around the world is stressful. The goal of this blog is to help people find ways to take care of themselves during a hard time and new routine! If you’re someone for whom food, diet, and movement have been challenging or stressful in the past, we welcome you to concentrate on what makes you feel good, grounded in your body, and what lifts your spirits. That maybe all of this, or none of this! Find what works for you – and know that it may look different from everyone else’s decisions. Check out these folks on Instagram for more support around intuitive eating and movement if that support is helpful to you:
- Stay hydrated! It’s easy to forget to drink water when you are stuck at home all day. If we’re thirsty, our mood can be off and our bodies get tired. A few tips to drink water:
- Choose a water bottle and set a goal of how many water refills you will drink
- Add a reminder to your phone/google calendar to drink a glass or bottle of water
- Use a fun app, like Plant Nanny, to keep track and grow cute little garden friends, too!
- Stick to a meal schedule that fuels you, satisfies you, and feels good to you. It’s easy to forget to nourish ourselves well when we are stuck at home AND socially isolated. Try to stick to a regular meal and schedule, so your body knows it will be taken care of and doesn’t have to worry about energy.
You can even go an extra step and meal plan! Personally, having a meal plan helps me stick with a schedule and makes me eager to make food, especially with limited trips to the grocery store. Plus, a meal plan helps me use the groceries I have and can help me save some money! Here is thekitchn.com’s meal plan template, but there are many others you can find online.
- Add a reminder on your phone/calendar to get up and move regularly (ex: 5 minutes every hour), with moves like:
- Stretches
- Walk around the place you live (have you heard of this guy who ran a marathon on his 7-meter balcony in France?)
- Dance party! Put on your favorite tune and move! For inspiration, check out the YMN Team Holiday playlist, and Michelle Obama’s workout playlist.
- If you are able and it would feel good to you: schedule some time to move for a larger chunk of time. In Iowa, it’s kind of spring and birds are singing and trees are budding! Take a (safe) walk outside – I personally like going at the end of my day to unwind, but some folks prefer starting their day that way, or like taking a break in the middle of the day to recenter.
Note: have you considered fostering a dog? Not only will you be providing a much needed (temporary) home to a dog, that dog will give you so much fun, keep you on a schedule to go outside and on a routine. Reach out to your local shelter!
- If you’re into it, several platforms offer free workouts. Here are some of our favorites:
- Yoga with Adriene (a YMN team favorite)
- CorePowerYoga (incorporates some strength and cardio into yoga flow series: my personal favorite)
- Yoga w Dana Falsetti (starts at 5$/month, pay what you can, all bodies, abilities, multiple language captions)
- UnderBelly Yoga with Jessamyn Stanley (free, body neutral and affirming, all bodies abilities, covers meditation)
- Nike Training Club (NTC) – free phone app with all kinds of workouts for all levels
- Fitness blender has all sorts of workouts you can do at home with no equipment.
- Here are some Instagram accounts I’ve been enjoying – A lot of these IGers offer inspiration, tips, and live video workouts that are super fun. (If you are able, I recommend tipping IG Fitness instructors: most of them are out of work)
We hope some of these ideas help if your focus is trying to create physical wellness spaces during the quarantine. Stay tuned to our blog as we continue to share resources from our team!
– Alice
