Lately, we as a family have tried adopting a few changes to live a healthier lifestyle. The pandemic has reduced most of the options of extracurricular activities for the children, and eating take out was becoming one of the few exciting things we could do during lockdown. But with COVID seeming like it’s still here to stay for a while longer, we decided it was time to work towards moving a little more and eating better.
Here are some of the changes we have made thus far:
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Exercise – Walking outside had become more difficult due to the colder weather, so my husband and I are focusing more on working out. We have been doing weights, treadmill, burpees, Pilates, yoga, and a mix of different activities to strengthen our cores (which, let’s be honest, are non-existent), and to bring our heart rates up. But since children need to be active as well, and playing sports or even running in the park are not options during winter, we have incorporated our kids into our workouts. While I run on the treadmill, the kids do their own little workouts, complete with stretches, warm-up and a cool-down. It’s quite entertaining to watch them try to do a push up. We also have regular dance parties – you know, to have an extra dose of fun while moving.
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Eat at home more – We have reduced our takeout ordering. I have to say the credit here goes to my husband. He is just able to make anything out of bits of food in the fridge and pantry, and they actually turn into delicious meals. I had leftover salmon with eggs this morning! I didn’t like how eating pizza or burgers at least one day a week was becoming a routine, especially when we had ways to make a much healthier alternative at home, without much effort. So far this has been going great. It’s so much cheaper to eat home cooked meals as well. Do we still have the occasional pizza? Of course, we do… we’re only human.
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More fruits and vegetables. Less cookies and chocolate – After the Christmas holidays, it was really hard to come down off that sugar high, and with January being such a gloomy month, sometimes it was easier to just find comfort in a box of chocolates. Yes, I said a box. My husband and I have completely stopped that and honestly it was hard not to crave something sweet to end off the evening, but we have been doing ok. The kids still eat the occasional “junk food” snack – in moderation of course – because they are children and I don’t want to rob them of the few fun things they have, especially this past year. But I can proudly say, the other day I heard my son ask for carrots as a snack. We have been trying many different fruits and vegetables – yesterday I tried Cara Cara oranges – so delicious.
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Mindfulness – Stress and anxiety have become a huge part of everyone’s lives this past year. Living in a constant state of stress isn’t great for your heart. So, we have been looking for ways to stay calm and to take the edge off. Yoga has been extremely helpful for the kids. I find colouring, making puzzles and writing to be great outlets, and my husband reads and cooks. We spend a lot of time in the house due to COVID, so it’s important to find ways to feel at peace in it.
Keeping up healthy and active lifestyles isn’t something you do only for a month, so we definitely aspire to keep these changes going. As parents of three kids, we recognize that we are getting older, and our bodies need to become a priority. It’s also equally important to instill these values in our children at an early age, so they maintain healthy habits as adults. I remember I used to watch Hal Johnson and Joanne Mcleod on BODY BREAK. So in their words, “Keep Fit and Have Fun!”