Due to the unforeseen pandemic, many of us are frequently home these days. Our work and personal life all revolve in the same place. And with our physical and social bubble reduced to a minimum, our lifestyles have drastically changed too.

Some were able to grasp the new reality. Many people picked up habits, which now form their new daily routine. And more importantly, they were able to ensure the crucial elements of health and fitness into their mostly home-bound routine.

For others, however, staying wholesomely active in such a limited space as the home has been a challenge that they are yet to overcome. For one, the house is full of simple comforts that they can easily access. With the fridge and the couch just a few steps away, self-gratification after a hard day’s work has lost its meaning.

It is so easy for anyone to lose track of time and motivation when their lives switch between work and home. The alienating effect, likewise, rubs onto their ability to keep themselves physically fit. When a person’s job and personal life have somewhat melted into each other, these are likely to happen to their health:

Messed-Up Meal Body Clock

We eat not only to indulge in various flavors but, more importantly, to nourish our bodies. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was easier for many to stick to meal schedules and, consequently, more or less consistent food portions. Our bodies had a way of telling us that for breakfast, since you have the rush hour and grogginess to conquer, you have to eat this much and so on.

When the pandemic pushed working masses to their homes, a workday starts at 9:00 AM sharp since morning prep time was practically reduced to a few minutes. It’s common for someone to skip meals, and when they have the chance to, it’s when they’re already starving. Making our bodies feel consistently starved is partly related to weight gain. Once we eat, our bodies make up for the missed meal times and tend to store in the food’s calories rather than expending them for physical activities.

On the other hand, some people bring their meals in front of the computer, which breeds unhealthy eating habits. When eating, people should shut off sources of distractions to fully savor and chew their food and, in turn, digest it properly. The attempt to squeeze in bites in the middle of work also indirectly causes people to prefer fast food and snacks overcooked meals. Because most people want to multitask, in turn, they fill their bodies up with bad calories, refined sugars, and trans fats.

Weight Gain and Related Illnesses

If you don’t take charge and become intentional with your food choices, you should expect to gain some weight. Moreover, without much movement but with the same or more food intake, a person runs the risk of stacking up more pounds on the scale. Knowing that the present circumstances limit physical movement, not only should you balance your calorie intake, you must also find ways to stay physically active with the available resources and space.

An inactive lifestyle might not physically manifest in more flabby arms, bellies, and thighs in everyone. But it does considerable harm to internal organs. The consumption of unhealthy food, paired with a sedentary lifestyle, contributes to the clogging of arteries, the imbalance of the gut’s microbiota and acid levels, and deactivating the endocrine’s system’s ability to produce insulin, among many other functional defects.

That said, a person’s risk of contracting chronic diseases like heart illnesses, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndromes increase. If you do not change your lifestyle, cancer cells in your body can reproduce to alarming levels, developing into malignant cancers. Moreover, depriving yourself of the benefits of exercise makes you more susceptible to mental health issues, including anxiety, which is common among overweight or obese individuals.

It’s Never Too Late

When you try to be active again after a long sedentary period, you can strain your muscles and joints, leading to injury. The most common injuries most people suffer after being inactive for so long are foot and ankle injuries, which is especially true in older adults. This is because your joints might not be able to adapt to your new weight. For this, you can consult a foot and ankle specialist so they can recommend to you an exercise routine that will gradually bring you back to a healthier weight and routine. Just remember, do not push yourself too hard from the start, or else you can cause shock to your body.

Moving into the new normal calls for lifestyle changes. You have a lot to catch up on once this pandemic is over. Better make the wait worthwhile by caring for your body.