Posted on April 29, 2020 at 11:07 AM by Becky Burnside
All the snacks you purchased for the next few weeks have been eaten, the shows on streaming services are no longer of interest, and you’re sincerely concerned about putting on anything that doesn’t have an elastic waist band.
You’re not the only one! Here are some helpful tips to help you focus on healthy eating and to prevent extra snacking:
1. Create a menu for the week and post it. Sit down with the family and plan out your meals for the week. Be sure to include variety and plan for leftovers if there are any. Make vegetables fun!
2. Start a food diary. By documenting everything you eat, you hold yourself accountable for what you’re consuming. Did we really eat cake for breakfast? Keeping a journal can help us stick to our healthy food goals.
3. Get those snacks out of sight!
4. Avoid overly processed foods.
5. Portion control.
One of the most important things you can control, and keep doing right now, is to MOVE! We have got to keep on moving. You would be surprised at the number of resources you have access to even with the closures. JCPRD parks and trails are still open - just be sure you are practicing physical distancing, or exercise using open floor space in your house with one of the many online options available.
Given Johnson County’s current state of shutdown, the virtual wellness world is booming! There are a plethora of businesses, trainers, instructors, and other fitness professionals who are posting free workouts regularly. If you do decide to stay active through online wellness, be dedicated and stick with it. If virtual workouts aren’t your thing, no worries! Here are some other simple exercises you can do at home or out walking using only your body weight for the resistance training.
1. Planks: these can be modified with your knees down, and/or side planks.
2. Lunges: you can do these while you’re out walking, or in your living room or kitchen with the support of a chair or counter. You can add weight to your lunges by holding on to something, or by using strong resistance bands. Add a core twist, lunge backwards, lunge to the side, or a static lunge for variety and to tone a different set of muscles.
3. Pushups: this fun exercise can also be modified, you can do them on a wall, couch, or on the floor with your knees down.
Other exercises that don’t require weights or equipment include: squats, jumping jacks, quick feet, arm circles, leg lifts, crunches, yoga, meditation, dancing, stretching, biking, and so many more. Be creative with your workouts and aim for 30 minutes a day and work on getting your heart rate up and stay active. You can still have a workout buddy to keep you accountable: keep in touch with friends and tell them about your workout and check in with them to see how their workouts are going. Let’s keep moving!