Let’s face it. You might be a little bit heavier than you were when the pandemic started. Your healthy eating habits might have stalled in the past year. And you can’t remember the last time you went to the doctor.
Now, you’re vaccinated, or if possible, you will be soon. Restrictions are lifting. And you want to get your health back on track.
First of all, be kind to yourself. Maybe taking care of your health got derailed in the past year. That’s okay. You can make slow, steady changes to get back on track or to even get your health in a better spot than it was before the pandemic.
Here are some recommendations,
- For exercise, 150 minutes per week is optimal. If you’re getting a lot less exercise than that, start with 60 minutes and work up to 150 minutes.
- For diet, set goals around eating smaller meals or fewer carbohydrates and make changes gradually. “I encourage people not to worry about the scale, as it may not be an accurate predictor of health. If you are making positive changes to diet and exercise, you will be healthier even if you’re not seeing a weight change. Trust in that and know you are doing yourself a long-term favor,” Dr. Redding said.
- If you need to improve your sleep or reduce your stress, take small steps toward making changes. And keep in mind that some of these changes will benefit you in other areas. For example, as you build an exercise habit you may find that you sleep better, and your stress levels drop.
The bottom line
If you’ve let your health slide during the pandemic, don’t be hard on yourself. And don’t expect to change everything about your life the day you’re fully vaccinated. Schedule the appointments you need, and make small, incremental, measurable changes to your lifestyle to get back on track.
Your body hears everything your mind says.
Naomi Judd
