Cleaning the Garage
Sitting Around and Overeating
The COVID-19 epidemic is top-of-mind for most Americans. Prudence dictates taking precautions. Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly after being in public places. Keep your hands out of your eyes, nose, and mouth especially when outside. Keep a respectful distance from non-household persons to reduce risk of exposure to the virus.
Being more or less confined to home except for brief forays to buy food and other necessities confers certain advantages. There’s more time for you to finally clean the garage. How about washing the blinds (both sides)? How about setting aside clothing that you never use to take to the thrift store when it reopens.
However, spending more time at home has its drawbacks. Too much sitting, too much eating, too few social connections. Taking steps to counteract these drawbacks might help you be less susceptible to contracting the illness. You'll feel better plus you'll support your long-term health and well-being.
One potential pitfall of being at home is spending more time sitting in front of the television, or the computer, or working your cell phone. Extended sitting harms your health, but it’s easy to counteract. Simply, set your watch to ding once an hour when you anticipate sitting for several hours. At each ding, get up and move around for one or two minutes. Go outside and check the weather. See if the crocuses are blooming. Even short periods of movement can negate the adverse effects of extended sitting.
Walking provides another antidote to too much sitting and limited social connections. My wife and I now see many more people on our thrice-daily walks around our neighborhood than we did previously. It’s wonderful to say hello to our friends and find out how they’re doing. Plus, the spring weather provides an added element of enjoyment to our daily walks.
The gyms in our town closed a while ago. But some of the local gyms post exercise videos or host live online sessions that members can follow at home. Plus, you can find thousands of exercise videos online.
Being in close proximity to your refrigerator and food pantry for most of the day may tempt you to overeat, perhaps out of boredom. The two hours my wife and I spend walking every day helps prevent boredom. On the plus side, you now have more time to find interesting recipes for healthy eating. My wife and I enjoyed two new recipes over the past two weeks. Try the ginger, sweet potato, coconut milk and lentil stew. I also recommend the curry lentil soup.
We probably would not have tried the new recipes if not for being hmoe so much. This might be a good time to upgrade aspects of your eating. For example, leave unhealthy sweets (cookies, candy, cakes, pies, sugary beverages, ice cream) at the grocery store. Bartlett and D’anjou pears make much healthier sweet treats.
Keeping moving, eating better, and cultivating social connections comprise healthy choices that nurture your body and mind. Do yourself a favor and get outside several times each day, visit with your neighbors from a respectful distance, and plan healthy meals for you and yours. You'll be happier and healthier.
