Being at Home: Self-Help for Self-Quarantine
© Roberto Nickson
Self-quarantine at home gives you the perfect opportunity to look after your health and personal wellbeing.
All the time that you used to spend on your commute, can now be used to do some Yoga, exercise, or simply meditate.
Get creative! Every little bit of movement counts. When we’re confined to our home, we need to move, move, move! You don’t need fancy equipment or a lot of time; you just need to weave exercise into your schedule.
Following are the things you can do every day during self-quarantine to maintain your physical and mental health.
Start bringing movement into tiny moments
Next time you watch a TV show, get up and do some squats during the commercials. Do heel raises when you’re washing dishes. Do side lunges when you’re throwing clothes in the dryer.
Knock out some push-ups when you’re waiting for a pot of water to boil. Dancing is also a great way to move your body. Turn on some music and move with your partner or children.
Come up with games you can play with children. Anything where you’re crawling, jumping and skipping could work. We all have stuff in our house that can be utilized for fun and mobility.
Get your heart rate up, multiple times a day
Stairs can be your cardiovascular best friend. If you have access to stairs in your home or apartment, going up and down those stairs is a great way to get your blood pumping.
For a great full-body home workout, you can do an entire circuit sequence for up to 30 to 45 minutes. If you are working movement into your daily tasks, creating more activity while doing things you already need to get done. Every little bit counts toward a healthier you. Simple fitness exercises like marching in place, doing jumping jacks or jogging in place with high knees add up!
Get out and walk, even for just 15 minutes
As long as you’re healthy, able to maintain a reasonable amount of distance and you’re being good about hand hygiene, then getting outside for a walk is good. It clears your mind, and it keeps you active.
Stretch it out for at least 30 seconds
Stretching is essential, because it helps maintain flexibility. There are simple stretches you can do in your home or outside, such as the warrior pose stretch and the prayer stretch, which targets the lower back.
You should be stretching at least two to three times a week, and hold each stretch for 30 seconds for most areas and up to 60 seconds for sore or problem areas. Don’t bounce, which can cause injury. Expect to feel tension while you’re stretching, but not pain.
Work on your breathing, because anxiety is real
A highly recommended technique for breathing called diaphragmatic breathing, will relieve you of tension and stress. Lie down on your back and put your hands on your abdominal region. When you breathe in, make your belly rise. And when you breathe out, your belly should fall. Stay in that position and take 10 deep breaths.
It’s really important that we take a few moments and pause and really just sort of relax ourselves and our nervous system.
Make sure you clean up after yourself, even if you’re doing activities in your home, you still need to observe the same kind of hygiene practices as advised.
You should wash your hands carefully and try not to touch your face. If you need to touch your face, do so using a clean towel. And if you’re using any kind of gym equipment at home, clean it with soap and water or any household cleaner before and after so that if you’re sharing it with others, you’re not spreading germs around.
Here are three yoga poses that you could try during self-quarantine:
Trikonasana:
The triangle pose helps to improve the ventilation of the clavicle region of the lungs and also makes the spine supple.
For trikonasana, stand erect with your feet together and arms by the side of the body. Inhaling, lift the arms in front of the body at shoulder level. Exhaling, bend forward from the waist, keeping the spine and legs straight. Touch your toes while keeping the arms straight and keep looking forward. Hold the pose while suspending your breath for six-seconds. While inhaling, return to the starting position and relax.
Ustrasana:
This is also known as the Camel Pose. This asana will not only help you to improve your posture while working from home but will also improve your respiration capacity. With the constant fear and panic surrounding the coronavirus, this asana can give you some stress relief and calm the mind.
For this, kneel down on your mat, with your toes and heels together. Gradually, lean back and take the arms behind as well. Slowly place your hands on the heels. Inhaling, lift the pelvis, waist, and body upwards and outwards. Let your neck and head fall back. Stay in this position for 5-6 seconds, and slowly release.
Gaumukhasana:
The asana, also called cow face pose, got this name because of the strong resemblance to that of a cow’s head. Since the lungs get expanded in this asana, it is highly recommended during this time, as we want to improve our breathing capacity.
To get into this asana, sit with your legs straight. Then, bend the left leg and bring it near the right hip. Then, bend the right leg, and take it over your left knee, to place it near the left hip. Let the knees stack on each other. Take the right arm above your head and the left arm behind your back from below. Try to interlock your fingers behind the back, while keeping the head straight. Stay in this position for a minute and repeat it with the opposite hand and leg.
Try to make the most of your self-quarantine and practice Yoga. This will not only keep your body and lungs healthy but will also improve your overall immunity system.
For, post-corona after-care, you might want to consider visiting the Taj Mahal in Mumbai to embrace Indian spirituality and slowly get back into balance, whilst feeling like royalty.
