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During COVID-19 isolation, we’re all doing our best to take care of ourselves and each other while life outside our walls remains uncertain. Although this situation has come with many challenges, one benefit of shelter-in-place orders is that you may have more time for self-care.

The benefits of self-care are countless, especially when you’re going through a difficult period (and right now, who isn’t?). Self-care can come in the form of exercising, eating better, or even just setting aside time to enjoy your day. Here are some of our suggestions for how you can use this time to keep your body, mind, and spirit in a healthy state.

Exercise at Home

Physical exercise is helpful for releasing endorphins, naturally produced hormones that are physiologically proven to make people feel happier. It may be tricky to fit in exercise without being able to spend much time outside or at the gym, but at-home workouts can still be rewarding. YouTube is a great resource for following yoga routines or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts.

HIIT workouts generally span anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, and most don’t require any equipment. Common exercises include jumping jacks, burpees, various lunges, and body weight moves that are great for muscle toning. According to Fitness Blender, roughly 9 to 16 calories are burned during each minute spent doing a HIIT training workout, so one 15-minute workout is likely to burn between 135-240 calories, depending on the exercises you do and your starting weight. Making time for a self-guided workout a few days a week will improve your mood and help you maintain the results of a body sculpting treatment.

Pursue Your Passions

The importance of self-care for mental health cannot be overstated. In addition to fitting in workouts, eating healthy, and drinking lots of water, it’s a good idea for people who are sheltering in place to set aside time to relax and do things they love. Maybe you have a hobby like playing an instrument, reading, or painting. Maybe you love watching movies and TV shows. Maybe you’re extroverted and craving social interaction, in which case, it’s fun to set up a Zoom or FaceTime call with family or friends. If you’re not in the mood for videoconferencing, you can always call someone over the phone while cooking or taking a (socially distanced) walk around your block.

Setting goals is a great way to encourage yourself to get enough personal time. For example, you can task yourself with reading a different novel every two weeks, or trying out a brand new hobby every month.

Be Kind to Yourself!

Sheltering in place won’t last forever, but since we don’t know how much longer it will last, it’s important to do your best to keep healthy and mentally occupied during this time. We hope you and your families are all staying well.

McKay Taylor
Author: McKay Taylor

McKay has a love and passion for health and physical aesthetics. He went to Utah State on a full-ride academic scholarship, majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition. McKay is currently the CMO of Belle Medical, a competitive bodybuilder, and a Certified Personal Trainer and Dietitian. When he’s not reading up on the latest breakthroughs in health and fitness research, he’s working hard to set trends of his own. Most importantly, McKay truly believes that with proper eating habits, training, and the right medical interventions (a la Belle Medical), no physique or personal body goal is out of reach for ANYONE.