How to maintain a healthy lifestyle during lockdown

For those on a weight loss journey interrupted by the Covid-19 outbreak, it can be difficult to maintain motivation and a healthy lifestyle during lockdown.

Here at Onhealth, we have produced some handy exercise videos for you to follow along with as you build your own fitness sessions at home. We’ve even got a series of warm-up clips to ensure you are fully prepared and ready.

Below you will find some useful tips with regards to living under lockdown and maintaining a healthy lifestyle:

Get plenty of sleep

Sleep is a restorative part of our lives, with between seven and eight hours minimum recommended. Your usual routines may have been knocked but try to adapt to a new norm, with a regular amount of sleep boosting your immune system.

Set a schedule

Health24.com discusses the need for a dedicated daily schedule to avoid unnecessary snacking. Particularly when working from home, the temptation to snack more often is a big one. However, sticking to working patterns and dedicating time for exercise and relaxation, as well as time to eat, will reduce persistent grazing which can often lead to eating unhealthily.

Avoid boredom

When boredom strikes, especially in the home environment, then temptation to eat unhealthy food rises. Try to restrict boredom wherever possible by changing tasks if you feel concentration waning. Keep things fresh so you don’t desire a wander to the kitchen. This is a similar approach to working in an office, where boredom can often lead to snacking on biscuits and other sweet, unhealthy options.

Draw the line

The same website which looks at a disciplined schedule also suggests limiting where you eat in the house to just a couple of the usual places. If you are working in the bedroom, there is a temptation to bring food there as you work. Resist and keep eating restricted to the kitchen and/or dining room.

Create healthy snacks

Make sure if you are snacking that you are choosing healthy versions of things. Instead of biscuits, why not go for carrot sticks or cucumber sticks? Add hummus to provide an alternative texture and additional flavour. There are many ways to create healthier versions of snacks, with this area of the BBC Good Food site providing many easy to create ideas.

Exercise regularly throughout the week

The government actively encourages one outing for exercise per day. If you don’t wish to head out, do some exercises in the garden. No garden space? No problem. Simply clear a space in the house and use one of the many online fitness sessions, ranging in intensity and style, to motivate your session.

There are a range of online exercise sessions available, including Joe Wicks’ popular sessions and the NHS classes. Or you can head over to the Onhealth YouTube channel and try out a few of our simple exercise videos.