Keeping Healthy in an Outbreak and Beyond

Practicing healthy habits is essential to not getting sick in a pandemic or otherwise.

As the COVID-19 virus ravages the world, and many countries and states issue lockdown or shelter-in-place orders, it’s hard to maintain the healthy habits we practiced when things were “normal.” It’s way more difficult to workout, eat healthy and stay hydrated with all the stress of being stuck at home, some of us without a lot of space to “stretch-out.”

Although it may be more difficult, all of us have to do our part to flatten the curve and stay as healthy as we can by practicing these healthy habits:

Wash your hands and also…everything. I’m sure many of us have raw, chapped hands from the frequent washing but don’t forget to wash all the other things you touch in your daily life. Be sure to give your phone, water bottle, door handles and light fixtures a healthy wipe down. You can use rubbing alcohol diluted with water in a spray bottle if you can’t find wipes. But be cautious about when and where you use your cleaning supplies as some of them may be flammable or harmful if used the wrong way. To be sure you’re using your cleaning products correctly, check the product’s label or you can search it on SmartLabel.org to learn more.
Keep hydrated. When our routines are upended, it’s hard to keep our normal healthy habits intact, like drinking enough water throughout the day. To figure out how much you should be drinking, a good rule of thumb is to take your weight and divide it by half. That’s the number, in ounces of water you should be drinking daily. Be sure to keep your water bottle clean and filled, even if you’re working from home.
Exercise. Yes, despite being cooped up inside, it’s still very important to keep your heart healthy with frequent cardiovascular and weight lifting exercise. How? There are many online fitness communities putting out free at-home workouts. Additionally, you can go for a walk outside with proper social distancing practices. Those include keeping six feet of distance between you and any other person. Also, don’t forget to wash your hands, keys and water bottles when you come back inside to keep things clean. For our employees, we’ve set up a Facebook group where I post live workouts everyday. If you have the capacity to do this, it’s a great way to keep your employees engaged as well if they are working remote.
Eat your veggies. Going to the store can be a challenge right now as well as preparing nutritious meals. Try to incorporate as many fruits and veggies as you can, which might mean using frozen, if they are the only thing available. You can check out these ideas from nutrition.org for some tips on shopping and cooking healthy during the COVID-19 crisis. Don’t forget about practicing food safety as well!

For more tips, check out my video below which runs through all the best practices you need to stay healthy now, and all year long.

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