Blaming COVID Is So 2020! Now It’s Time to Reset

If you’ve been exercising less and not eating as well as you know you should, you’re not the only one. The coronavirus and resulting lockdowns have broken many people’s healthy habits. Grocery shopping’s a challenge, eating out is severely limited, gyms are closed and many social outlets are banned—it’s no wonder many of us have been eating more junk food, exercising less, stressing more and losing sleep.*

For many of us, the proof is in our tightening waistbands. In an online poll of more than 1,000 WebMD readers in the U.S., nearly half of the women and almost one-quarter of the men said they’d gained weight due to COVID-19 restrictions.**

There’s been much we haven’t been able to control lately, but we can take control of habits that are affecting our physical and mental health. Ask yourself the following questions:

What are you eating?

If you’re used to eating out most of the time, you may now be stocking up on pre-made, processed meals and snacks that are significantly higher in sodium and fat than fresh foods. Take the extra time at home to try out some recipes with simple, wholesome ingredients. If cooking is just not your thing, opt for prepared meals with fewer ingredients and more natural, whole foods.

But if you’re the person who’s fully embraced the extra time at home by cooking more, you may want to take a look at how many calories you’re eating throughout the day. With more time in the kitchen, you may be eating more, too. If that’s the case, consider limiting portion sizes, eating at set times and making a healthy menu and snack plan for the week, and sticking to it.

Also think about this: Are you feeding your body with fresh fruits and vegetables and whole foods, or are you feeding anxiety and boredom by reaching for sweets, junk foods, high-calorie comfort foods and alcohol?

Are you moving enough?

Even if you weren’t a workout fiend before, you were likely benefiting from low-level activity, like walking to and from the car at the grocery store, climbing the stairs at the mall and standing in line at the post office. These little movements add up. Without them, you may be burning fewer calories. Being active—even if it’s many little movements—can help you control your weight, improve your mood and boost your immune system. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or another chronic condition, regular activity is also important to managing these and other health issues.

What are you doing for your mental health?

The past months have been pretty tough. Lockdowns, concerns over our health and the health of others, financial insecurity, travel restrictions…it’s no surprise that many people are feeling stressed. The irony is that we can’t turn to many of the activities that we rely on to deal with stress, such as exercise, spending time with family and friends, taking trips and seeing live performances. Look for ways to adapt: Read a book about a place you’d like to travel someday, stream a concert video or arrange a virtual lunch date with friends. Now might also be a good time to try out something completely new, like an online yoga class.

While there’s no shame in having let some things slip, it’s time to make note of the unhealthy behaviors that have crept in and replace them with healthier habits. Taking care of this now may make it easier to cope with today’s challenges. Plus, it will keep those unhealthy behaviors from becoming habits that will be harder to break when it’s time to return to your pre-pandemic activities.

* The Impact of COVID-19 Stay-at-home Orders on Health Behaviors in Adults, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33043562/

** “Quarantine Weight Gain Not a Joking Matter,” WebMD Health News 

It Doesn’t Take Much to Move More

Three Easy Ways to Get Off the Couch

• While cooking, gardening or doing housework, put on music that makes you feel like dancing.
• Don’t just walk from one room to the next, high step it! Consciously lift your knees as high as you can and still keep your balance.
• When doing something sedentary for an extended time, set a timer for 30 minutes to remind you to get up and walk around and/or stretch.