During the pandemic, many of us found it difficult to maintain healthy habits. In particular, eating and exercise became real challenges. Instead of packing a lunch or grabbing something at work in the cafeteria or a nearby restaurant (where portion control is potentially easier to control), most of us were at home with cupboards and fridges filled with food beckoning us throughout the workday. With many gyms closed and limitations imposed by social distancing, it was tough to keep up the workout routine without the switch to a virtual platform; being stuck at home also meant less walking and other activities that kept us moving. Most of us can see the results looking at the scale or in the mirror.
Now that the pandemic seems to be in its waning stage, what is the plan? How do we get back to good health and good habits? These questions are especially compelling for older adults, many of whom have been vaccinated and are eager to get out there and start “living” again.
Leave it to AARP to produce another excellent Bulletin with two great articles. The first one entitled “60 Ways to Live Longer, Stronger, Better,” offers a myriad of concrete steps older adults can take to get back on track including ways to boost brain and heart health, get back in shape, improve diet and relationships, be more resilient, and fight loneliness. 60 seems like a lot of suggestions, but they are broken down in such a way that the list actually seems do-able. The second article, “Exercise Al Fresco” is not yet available on-line, but is in print; it offers suggestions for ways to take advantage of fitness opportunities in the great outdoors. It was heartening to see that the article followed up on a blog post I wrote just four days ago entitled “Adult Playground?” That post discussed what is apparently a growing trend: playgrounds designed for older adults aimed at improving fitness; a sidebar in the article highlights AARP’s role in supporting this initiative.
The weather is improving. There are more and more opportunities (with increased vaccinations as well) to get back on track. 2020 was a disaster health-wise for so many of us; let’s make 2021 the year we recover and excel. Let’s make a plan to eat better, exercise, hydrate, and get plenty of rest. Building healthy habits leads to better outcomes–not just physically, but in so many other ways as well.
Kosher Fitness 