Contributed by Sebastian Tan

With the government’s movement control order in place, it is even more vital for home-bound citizens to keep their health and fitness in top shape.

Not only will a healthy body be able to resist viruses better, but it will also help to keep the mind healthy as well. So here are a few tips:

Recovery work

Release muscle tension and stretch to improve flexibility for sitting down too long, especially those who used to train very hard and did not put emphasis into proper recovery. Common tight areas are hip flexors, the chest and neck. Try the cobra pose and chest opener to improve flexibility.

Eat Healthily

Since we have plenty of time at home now, we finally have control over what we put into our cooking pot compare to those days when we eat out. Cook healthier meals with whole-foods and natural ingredients. Reduce salt, oil and sugar. Prioritise vegetables and protein in every meal. A simple portion sample is half a plate of greens, a quarter of meat and a quarter of grains.

Keeping muscle mass

Engage in bodyweight exercise to preserve muscle mass and also heart health. A set of dumbbells or even barbells would do a good job in building muscles, but if you engage in proper training regime with bodyweight exercises, you should be able to preserve muscle mass if you are not able to gain it.

Do exercises like push-ups, squats, pull-ups and lunges. Do as many repetitions as you can for every set to feel the burn at the targeted muscles. Apart from that, you can utilise tempo in your exercises, for example, going down really slow with control during a squat or push-up, that will work the muscles harder. Besides, it is very convenient for many people to get access to free live workout sessions with many fitness professionals on Facebook or Instagram. Give them a follow and put that into your schedule.

Stay active

Exercise is not the only means of staying active. In fact, a normal exercise session would only contribute about 10% of total caloric expenditure per day. So, you can stay active by moving around at home. What’s better would be to do more house chores like vacuuming the house or mopping the floor every day, clean and wipe down the cupboards and drawers, clean the fan blades or aircon filters and tidy up the home. Avoid outdoor activities for the time being.

Reset your sleeping habit

Healthy sleep is a privilege to modern people where most of the time, people take it for granted. Good sleep quality is associated with many physical and psychological health benefit. Since we now do not need to wake up extra early to beat the traffic to get to the office, it is the best time ever to catch up with some good sleep and take this as an opportunity to reset that sleeping habit and show yourself some good love.

About the contributor

Sebastian Tan has over eight years of experience as a fitness coach and is currently working as a fitness educator. He holds a First Class Honors Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology from UTAR. Tan is an American Council for Exercise (ACE) master instructor, certified personal trainer (ACE), health coach (ACE), and rehabilitation trainer (Australia). His area of expertise is strength and conditioning, corrective exercises and behavioural coaching.

Disclaimer

This article is intended to convey general information only. It does not constitute advice for your specific needs. This article cannot disclose all of the risks and other factors necessary to evaluate a particular situation.

Any interested party should study each situation carefully. You should seek and obtain independent professional advice for your specific needs and situation.

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