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Keeping Fit In Isolation And Quarantine

Stuck At Home: Coronavirus (Covid 19) Is Not Good For Your Health: Keeping Fit In Isolation And Quarantine

It is stating the obvious that this new human Coronavirus infection isn’t good for your health but that is not what this advice is about.  If you’re young fit and healthy you’ll probably be wondering why you can’t do exactly what you always do activity-wise, but please consider other people. Older people, people with health issues and pregnant women (because we don’t know the implications to baby) may be at particular risk. 

Doing nothing to help reduce the risk of spread may lead to the death of people you don’t know, or damage to babies as yet unborn, which is dreadful. It might also lead to the death of members of your own family, or cause disability in newborn nephew or niece, so its time to take the situation seriously whatever your age or health. That means some adjustments to your life both social and physical.

People, particularly those who are older or have health issues, have been told to isolate/quarantine themselves against this infection, and this means as much as possible, to stay and home and watch TV, right? Not if you want to maintain your health!

It is really important that everyone exercises and takes appropriate action to stay fit and healthy, despite the restrictions. Not least because once this is over you’ll be wanting to get back to all your usual activities and you need to stay fit, healthy and ready for that moment. That means you still need to exercise regularly and take precautions to protect your longer-term health.

Home exercises both sitting and standing are going to be very important.

If you are going to be sitting around more you may find your feet and ankles swelling more, so taking a beneficial hosiery choice is helpful. Consider compression socks to reduce the risks of inactivity on your feet and ankles. have some great products called FootPump Socks which can help.  Also try and take advantage of every bit of space that’s yours to keep fit and healthy.  Consider our advice for the health of older people, those with long term illness or pregnant women, and for the well being of society now and after the infection.

If your young fit and healthy follow the advice outlined below for health older people and pregnant women, just because what you do will effect the risk of other more vulnerable people getting infected. And remember, just occasionally healthy younger people can have a bad reaction to the disease too.

What Are You?

I Am Not Ill!

I Am In Quarantine Because I Live With A Covid 19 Infected Person

I Am Ill And May Have Covid 19

I Am Not Ill!

No fever, no cough, no breathing difficulties. But I am older or have some long term health issues, or I am pregnant?

The first rule, is you need to isolate yourself from general social contact with other people. It’s the people who you don’t know are ill and what they and obviously infected people have had contact with that is the risk to you. Does that mean you can’t go out?  No, it certainly does not, but you just need to be careful about who and what you come into contact with.

Taking a walk regularly is important to your health, particularly if outside in the sun. This is good for general cardiovascular health and vitamin D levels as well as mental health. If you have kids (or dogs), you need them to let off steam, and wild spaces are ideal for that. 

Plan your walk carefully and avoid the obvious popular spots that everyone likes to go to. Get Google or an OS map out and look for quiet remote spots, and if lots of people are parked there, go somewhere else or come back later. First of all, as long as you go walking where there are few if any people about you are perfectly safe. The countryside is still a safe place to go to, even if busy city parks are far riskier. Simple rules like wearing gloves to open gates, or to climb styles or using hand sanitiser before and after, and not getting close to anyone you meet while taking a walk should be sufficient. If you meet someone nod, smile and say ‘hi’, but just don’t get close. Obviously, anyone you share a house with, are the right people to go walking with, because it’s less risky walking with them than living with them. 

Going for a cross country run, cycling, wild swimming or anything that avoids close contact with other people or the things they touch, is perfectly safe to do, with just the risks associated with the activity. Apart from washing your hands carefully before and after you go out for your outdoor activity, there is nothing you are restricted from doing before this virus came. It just might be wise to take a hand sanitiser with you, but that’s a good rule even in normal times.

If the government, in time, advise that we all stay home, then your garden is a great resource if you have one. Consider all those jobs in the garden you’ve never had the time to finish. Now is the time to act and get these tasks done. Take a walk around your patch and see how things look from every angle and you’ll be surprised how much activity you’ll manage in an afternoon! It gets you outdoors, hopefully in some greenery and that’s good for you. If you are sitting a lot consider some Healthystep Foot Pump socks to keep your feet from swelling and putting stress on your foot and leg veins. 

If you’re stuck indoors try the following exercises:

Exercise Therapy Ball

Toe Motion Exercise

Heel Raise / Calf and foot Strengthening

Stair calf exercise

Wobble bag exercise

 


I Am In Quarantine Because I Live With A Covid 19 Infected Person

Now you are in quarantine, so you really should not go out and about, because you are a risk to other people. It can’t be helped, but you have now got 14 boring days ahead of you. Again the garden offers a restricted access space which you can’t spread the disease in (just make sure it is a private area and not shared). Getting some sun is important as vitamin D helps our immunity to fight disease. Do jobs in the garden, get busy with those ‘when I have time” jobs you’ve never finished and keep moving.

Foot exercises while sitting and standing can help keep your feet strong and your legs pumping blood around:

Exercise Therapy Ball

Toe Motion Exercise

Heel Raise / Calf and foot Strengthening

Stair calf exercise

If you’ve got an old wi-fit, it might be a great time to get it up and running again. If you find yourself sitting around more than normal your feet and ankles might start to swell. Consider compression hosiery like the Foot Pump socks.


I Am Ill And May Have Covid 19

FEVER and/or COUGH and/or BREATHING difficulties?

 As long as you are not in the high-risk group of heart disease, respiratory disease or any other long term illness, and are not struggling with your breathing, you don’t need medical treatment. But carefully monitor your health over the next two or three days. Just behave as if you have a dose of flu and stay out of everybody’s way. If after a day or two you feel you are getting worse rather than better, phone 111 for advice. Do not go to A&E or phone an ambulance unless it truly is an emergency with your breathing in particular. 

You do need to isolate with your family for the next 14 days, you need to keep your body and mind fit. Regular simple exercise is one of the best ways to do this, as soon as you’re feeling better. Try and get a routine of exercises going as soon as you feel fit enough. 

Start with some simple foot and ankle exercises: 

Exercise Therapy Ball

Toe Motion Exercise

As you feel better to get some weight-bearing exercises going too:

Heel Raise / Calf and foot Strengthening

Stair calf exercise

If you notice your feet and ankles swelling try some Foot Pump socks.  Soon as you feel up to it, and the symptoms are settling down, try and get outside into the garden if you have one, or out onto a balcony as long as your not going near a neighbour (stay at least 6 feet away from anyone). Do get outside for a bit, particularly if there is some sun about, but keep warm.

Keep Safe And Best Wishes From Us All Here At

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