Too many things to do.
Not enough time!
Does that sound familiar?
Well, most of my friends and colleagues say the same thing.
Work from Home has created a new work culture – on the one hand, we have the liberty to work in comfy pajamas but on the other hand, working hours seem to be unending. There was a clear boundary between workplace and home, but those two have merged now.
We need to redesign our days and schedules to manage this new normal.
As per a report published in the National Library of Medicine – “Roughly 22% of adults report having gained weight during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Many people don’t even realize that they have gained weight until they try to wear formal clothes.
It’s not only about the weight though. The new mostly sedentary lifestyle of Work from Home is causing a lot of physical, mental, and emotional health issues that we need to pay attention to.
“While regular, brisk exercise is said to delay aging, not meeting required levels of physical activity can actually accelerate your risk of prematurely dying, and causes more deaths globally than tobacco consumption or diabetes, as per a study published in The Lancet.” Source
What’s your level of fitness, are you in shape or not?
Here are some early signs of being out of shape, let’s make it a priority to watch out for these signs:
1. Feel sluggish all the time
Feeling tired in the absence of physical activity is a subtle sign your body is giving – it has lost momentum. This leads you to feel chronically tired and low on energy. It may be your body’s way of telling you that you need to start moving about. Exercise can help boost your energy levels and improve your overall mood.
2. Get out of breath with even the slightest physical activity
Do you end up feeling winded just rushing to the front door from the bedroom?
Maybe you are huffing and puffing as you reach the top of the stairs at home?
These are signs that your body has adapted to a sedentary lifestyle. The cardiovascular system has become sluggish due to a lack of physical exercise. This means that your heart and lungs have to work extra hard when there’s any physical activity. Don’t worry, this can be easily reversed. We just need to start with light stretching and walks. Gradually we can increase the duration and intensity – and the heart will become healthy and stamina will improve as well.
3. Get injured/ sick more often
Have you noticed recurring cricks in the neck, and muscle spasms that wake you up at night? Lack of physical exercise causes body muscles to become rigid and out of shape. This results in spasms and weird pains. Reaching the top shelf to pick up a book or bending down to pick a toy from the floor can cause shoulder pain or trigger backache. Even getting up from the chair after an hour-long Zoom meeting can cause knee pain. Most of us have experienced something like this in recent years – one great way to deal with this is to get up and walk around the home every hour. Another idea is to do a few stretches every time you go to the kitchen to get coffee.
4. Have trouble sleeping
Too much screen time on the computer and then binge-watching Netflix may have upset your natural sleep patterns. Do you have trouble falling asleep? Lack of sound sleep or waking up often due to body ache is also a subtle sign that you are not moving enough. A physically fit person finds it very easy to sleep at night, and they wake up rejuvenated after a deep and refreshing sleep. Exercise releases endorphins which help you sleep better.
As per John Hopkins Medicine – “We have solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality,” says Charlene Gamaldo, M.D. , medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital.
5. Feel stressed all the time
Stress is a silent pandemic that no one is talking about. It is the new normal and stress gets glorified in the corporate circles as a sign of being committed to Work!
As per Mayo Clinic – “.. when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The long-term activation of the stress response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that follow can disrupt almost all your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk of many health problems including anxiety, depression, digestive problems, heart disease, etc.”
Are you unable to handle stress? Do you get bogged down by everyday stress? Physical exercise helps to destress by taking our attention away from the mind. It also releases happy and feel-good hormones that help to neutralize stress.
Have you noticed any of these subtle or not-so-subtle signs recently?
It may be time for a yearly review of health goals. The easiest way to get started is by walking short distances. If you really want to get back in shape and feel good about yourself – you will get the best results for your time and effort through Yoga.
A good Yoga practice helps you get in the flow gently without causing undue stress. It builds stamina and range of movement gradually. Most importantly, it brings peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment.
At Blissify – we help people get back in shape and achieve their health goals. Our Yoga teachers provide guidance based on your level of fitness and mobility.
We share recordings so you can follow along and practice at home. Our team keeps a check on your progress and helps build on your practice gradually.
We nurture communities so that participants can motivate each other.
There are flexible slots so you can join when it suits your schedule.
Click here to sign up for 1 month free trial of our Yoga sessions!
