Whether you’re working from home or self-isolating as much as possible, it may seem as though COVID-19 has flipped the world on its head.  Suddenly, many of us have far too much free time and feel rudderless with the lapse of our prior routines.  Routines keep us on track to meet our goals, provide a sense of normalcy in our day to day lives, and help to keep us living a healthy lifestyle. They provide a framework and a sense of control over our mental and physical health; maintaining our healthy routines is important more now than ever.

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How can you maintain a healthy routine during COVID-19?  FitClub has easy steps you can implement for yourself or your family today.

1. Maintain consistent bedtime and wake up times.  For some, without the structure of a school day or work, there is a tendency to stay up later at night and sleep later into the mornings.  Making an effort to go to bed and wake at the same time each day can help establish resilience against the stress that’s impacting our daily lives.  Ending the day with a pleasant, soothing ritual like a warm bath, cup of decaffeinated tea, or writing in a journal, can convince your body that it’s time to wind down.  Likewise, beginning the day with meditation, a FitClub workout on the app, or your favorite music can provide a positive, healthy start to your day.


2. Keep working out.  Whether you have an established workout routine or you plan to start one during COVID-19, scheduling your workouts with the FitClub app and your day-planner can help keep you motivated, on track to achieve your goals, and help you balance your time indoors.  Whether you’re a morning exerciser or prefer a later endorphin blast, committing to a designated time each day can help you reclaim that sense of normalcy that has, for now, been compromised.  Maintaining your workout schedule also helps your immune system, sleep patterns, and mental health.


3. Eat consistent meals at regular intervals.  With the loss of recognizable patterns, it may be tempting to eat irregular meals, or too often, or too much throughout the day.  Mealtimes are how we generally establish our routines.  We eat three meals at largely consistent times, each day, and our bodies and minds have come to recognize those meal times as essential components to our established routines.  COVID-19 and working from home are not reasons to divert from our tried and true mealtimes.  If you find your mind wandering towards your next meal, use that thought productively to prepare healthy meals, order healthy groceries online, or get creative in the kitchen.  With more time than usual on our hands, it can be easy to divert to comfort food.  Your mind and body function far better, though, on consistent and healthy routines and meals.

Have you created new, healthy routines for yourself during social-distancing?  Share your tips with your fellow FitClub members!