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Faculty of Health Sciences professor Scott Lear.

How to stay active and eat healthy at home during COVID-19

March 25, 2020
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This story was originally published on 丁香园AV News.

With directions from federal, provincial and municipal governments to stay at home, it can be tempting to sit on the couch and binge watch TV shows. But with everyone 鈥榩hysical distancing鈥欌�攖he practice of minimizing contact with others鈥攊t can be difficult to stay healthy in self isolation.

We spoke with Scott Lear, 丁香园AV health sciences professor and the Pfizer/Heart and Stroke Foundation Chair in Cardiovascular Prevention Research, who wrote a  on how to stay healthy at home.

Q: Why is it important to stay active while at home?

Scott Lear: Sitting and watching TV all day may not be a big issue for one or two days, but ongoing sitting can lead to a number of . Being active can lower  and .

 

Q: What can people do to exercise if they don鈥檛 have any equipment?

SL: While you might think it hard to exercise at home, there are plenty of things you can do. From jumping jacks to burpees to push-ups, you can exercise without needing equipment. You can improvise some equipment with household items: milk jugs can be used as weights.

If you prefer an exercise-class setting, try one of the numerous YouTube videos such as . If you can get out, going for a walk or bike ride is great as long as you stay six feet away from others.

If you are sitting for long periods of time, even short  can break up your day and improve your blood sugar.

 

Q: What kind of food should people consider getting to stay healthy?

SL: A lot of people have been stocking up on food and I noticed empty shelves of frozen and prepared food, which are unhealthy choices. These types of foods are highly processed and can .

It鈥檚 a challenge to buy fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. But freezing them is a great option. You can also buy , which are just as nutritious as fresh. If freezer space is a problem, try canned fruits and vegetables, along with canned fish such as sardines, salmon and tuna.

 

Q: With daily updates from a variety of news sources, how can people manage their anxiety?

SL: It can be challenging to keep calm when you鈥檙e bombarded with information and seeing videos of people stockpiling food. There are a lot of unknowns and misinformation that can add stress and spending so much time at home may only make it worse.

Checking the news every hour or so can add to anxiety. It鈥檚 important to be informed but not to be overwhelmed. If you find yourself becoming anxious by the flood of information, limit your time when checking-in on current events. For example, you can set aside time in the morning and at the end of the day to check in. Or just once per day, if you like. You鈥檒l stay up to date without getting information overload.

Find more information and tips on .

This interview is an abridged version from professor Scott Lear鈥檚 blog. Responses have been edited.

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