The current pandemic emergency caused by the worldwide spread of the new coronavirus infection has led the Italian Government to enforce containment measures, in order to counter the spread of the virus in Italy.
These measures include reducing the movement of people from their homes, which is only allowed in cases of need, and the use of smart work (working from home) wherever possible. This entails a change in our lifestyles, especially in terms of dealing with our physical activity and eating habits.
Regarding the current situation, taking care to maintain a balanced lifestyle is very important to safeguard our mental and physical health. With this aim in mind, the Italian Ministry of Health has published on its website dedicated to the new coronavirus a full page devoted to the theme of lifestyles at the time of Covid-19, in order to provide citizens with simple and practical behaviour guidelines.
Please find below a summary of the advice contained in the page dealing with appropriate lifestyles at this time.
Nutrition
It is essential to adopt a varied and balanced diet, in order to ensure a healthy supply of all the nutrients required for the proper functioning of our body. Daily/weekly intake should take into account the different food groups: cereals, pulse, tubers, fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and eggs, milk and dairy products. Therefore, a combination of different foods, each providing energy and specific nutrients, should be consumed every day. It is also important to divide the daily caloric intake of food in the right proportion: breakfast 20%, morning snack 5%, lunch 40%, afternoon snack 5% and dinner 30%.
Practical tips for healthy eating:
Remember that alcohol is not a food and there is no safe and recommended amount. It is better for your health to refrain from drinking alcohol. If you drink alcohol, limit the amount you drink and never exceed the low risk drinking threshold. Also, remember never to drink on an empty stomach and during working hours.
Exercise
To stay healthy, you need to "move", that is, walk, dance, play, etc. Scientific evidence shows that men and women of all ages may gain great benefit from 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise. Especially in the current situation, a little bit of exercise every day, even at home, becomes fundamental not only for our health, but also for our psychological well-being. Physical activity reduces stress and anxiety and improves mood and sleep quality.
Here are some useful tips for children and adults.
Children
Children need to play, be physically active and spend less time sitting in front of screens for a better quality of sleep. There are several activities you can do at home:
The WHO indications on exercise for children
Adults
Maintaining an active lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge, as opportunities to be physically active seem to be more limited. Therefore, it is even more important to plan our daily physical activity and reduce the time we spend in a sitting position. The current WHO recommendations on physical activity for the health of the adult population recommend that we carry out during the week a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity of moderate intensity or a minimum of 75 minutes of vigorous activity plus strengthening exercises of the larger muscle groups, 2 or more times a week.
In this period of time, to stay active we can:
In order to easily reach the minutes of physical activity recommended per day, you can also use a variety of "Video Tutorials" that are available free of charge online, describing simple and doable exercises, always taking special care to start gradually, if you are not well trained.
Data di pubblicazione: 8 aprile 2020 , ultimo aggiornamento 8 aprile 2020