In efforts to battle the spread of COVID-19, millions of us have been confined to the comfort of our own homes for the best part of a year now. As a result, we haven’t been able to go out and enjoy quite as many of the activities that break up mundane life such as exercise, socialising with friends or shopping freely. For some people, frequent visits to the gym have been replaced by frequent visits to the Netflix home page, followed by the inevitable binge fest of the latest hit series’ for hours on end.
This has made it WAY TOO EASY to slip into lazy habits which in turn lead to increased physical inactivity, increased fatigue and decreased productivity which significantly impact our physical and mental well-being (i.e. our conscience smites us and we know it). Read on for Netflix ‘N’ Fill: The Danger of Lazy Lounging in Lockdown!
TV is a Plug-in-Drug
The consequent reduction in physical activity has led to a concurrent rise in sedentary behaviours which include the likes of mindless channel surfing, watching Netflix, television, (our modern, ‘plug in drug’) playing video games, browsing the web, and scrolling and trolling on comment blogs. This can have significant implications on an individual’s physical health and especially on those with psychophysical medical complications. Sitting down for the majority of the day is associated with increased risk of obesity, development of heart disease, diabetes and premature death.
Physical Inactivity: A Big No-No
Physical inactivity combined with poor eating habits will only lead to unhealthy weight gain, these risk factors can contribute to reduced insulin sensitivity of the body’s cells. Unchecked, this can escalate to the point where the body cannot effectively control its own blood sugar levels and thereby manifest as type 2 diabetes.
The unhealthy build-up of LDL cholesterol associated with physical inactivity can block blood vessels by forming plaque. Dangerous levels of this plaque can disturb blood flow whilst blood clots start developing which in turn significantly increase the risk of heart attack.
The Non-Negotiable: Everyone Really Must Exercise for 30 Minutes Per Day
In addition to this, it is not only physically where you can suffer, but the associated mental anguish of guilt, regret, not to mention the preventable stresses it causes mom, dad, siblings and other family members is simply not worth it. Everyone should be making an effort to take care of the health of his and her own physical and mental ‘kingdom’. Keeping fit is not an option, and if you think about your life as an ecosystem, (which it definitely is) it’s a moral obligation. Why be a burden on anyone, let alone the NHS or the health services of your country? Be responsible by ensuring you get your 30 minutes of exercise in, daily.
Well-Being ProFIT: Don’t Put You Health Account into Debt!
The lockdown lifestyle can often feel like groundhog day, making you feel drained, tired and depressed. This monotonous repeated routine will only exacerbate these negative feelings. Furthermore, these negative feelings, in a vicious cycle, have been reported to increase the frequency of sedentary behaviour which only perpetuates this destructive habit. Therefore, it is crucial to inject activities into your day and week that can add to the ‘profit account’ of your health – you don’t want to get into the red, or into debt here!
As little as 30 minutes of physical activity a day can stimulate positive physical and mental benefits, making you less tired, more motivated, confident, focused, and far more productive.
Get Your Daily Gratitude “Me Time” Fill in
Getting some gratitude ‘me time’ can be as simple as absorbing fresh air by going for walks or running to help you massively break up your day. Additionally, if you have the space and resources, you can create a mini home gym with yoga mats, free weights and resistance bands and a rowing machine or exercise bike to maintain cardio stamina, muscle strength and overall health.
Put binge watching Netflix aside for 30 days, and see what happens. You could instead, for example, take time to get into the kitchen and make an interesting recipe that you’ve seen in a book, or on YouTube, literally anything that gets you up on your feet and moving!
Does anyone you know go overboard on the binge watching? Please share this with them! What are your thoughts on this subject? Let us know in the comments below, and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
