Exercise in the Time of Corona

How active are you right now?

Have you been finding it easy to maintain most or a modified version of your regular routine? Maybe with a little more time you are working out more than ever? Or maybe you can’t seem to get up and get moving?

If you are finding it hard to stay active, don’t feel bad. A new Angus Reid poll reports that more than 50% of all Canadians feel that their mental health has been negatively impacted in the last few weeks.

Everyone is finding it harder to stick to their normal routine.

Exercise is good for you mental health.

One of the best things to do for your mental health is exercise and it doesn’t take much. Any activity is better than no activity. Some of the biggest health benefits are realized when we go from doing nothing at all to doing anything.

Walking is a great way to stay active when your choices are limited. If you can’t walk outdoors you can march on the spot, go up and downstairs, do some bodyweight squats, pushups at your kitchen counter, crunches in bed. You don’t need any equipment or much space to do something.

Physical activity improves our mental health. Exercise has been shown to have a lasting and significant impact on our mental health. It improves depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It helps us sleep better, improves memory, and boosts our mood.

If you can’t seem to get active here two fun and free online options to get you active.

Impact Magazines, Sweat across Canada

Bhangra Dance-Fitness with Gurdeep Phander

Don’t overthink it.

Have some fun, try something new and remember that the simplest activities often result in the biggest returns. You don’t need fancy equipment when it comes to improving your fitness. Eliud Kipchoge, the world’s fastest marathon runner, has proven that simple works best.

I was reminded of this when I received the following promo for a push-up machine “that works 47 of your chest muscles” you will notice that I am not linking to this nonsense.

I told the man about the device. He often does push-ups during our runs on a log, he said he would sell his log for $99.99 plus shipping and handling with the following disclaimer, no returns, no guarantees, and results may vary.

Another great reason to exercise during this pandemic?

New research by the National Institute of Health says,

Regular exercise may help prevent or reduce the severity of ARDS for those with coronavirus. A single session of exercise increases the production of a critical antioxidant, called EcSOD, helping to reduce the effects of COVID-19 infection.

University of Virginia Health System

ARDS is acute respiratory distress syndrome. Researcher Zhen Yan, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, has found strong evidence that exercise can prevent, or at least reduce, the severity of ARDS. This affects between 3% and 17% of all patients with COVID-19.

EcSOD or Extracellular superoxide dismutase is an antioxidant, the superhero kind. It has a unique ability to bind to cell surfaces to prevent oxidative stress and damage,

One other important finding from Dr. Yan, his research shows that even a single session of exercise increases the production of the antioxidant EcSOD. He is encouraging everyone to find some way to exercise even while maintaining physical distance.

“We cannot live in isolation forever. Regular exercise has far more health benefits than we know. The protection against this severe respiratory disease condition is just one of the many examples.”

Get active, it all adds up. You don’t have to have any equipment, you don’t need to do a lot. Just do it, do it regularly, and repeat daily.

Exercise like your life depends on it.

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla