Stay Healthy at Home during the COVID-19 pandemic

Stay Healthy at Home during COVID-19: The last few weeks have been a difficult and stressful time for many of us. As we are now working from home and staying home during COVID-19 to help protect those most at risk, staying healthy has never been more important. While we stay home, we can begin to put the building blocks in place and carve out some good habits to help kick-start our healthy lifestyle.

 

 

Some simple tips to get you started on your home health journey are:

 

1) Stay Active:

Staying active and getting some exercise is not only great for your mental health, but it also helps to keep your body healthy and reduce your risk of cancer. Be that going for a 2km walk around your local area, doing some work in the garden or following an online workout tutorial, you can stay active while staying home.

 

2) Eat Well

Now that we have some extra time at home, we can use this opportunity to become more creative, and cook some simple, easy recipes that use the healthy ingredients our bodies need to function. By eating three balanced meals a day, and keeping to a healthy diet, we can work towards staying healthy and reducing our risk of cancer. For some quick and easy healthy recipes, click here.

 

3) Be SunSmart when outdoors

Taking a break and getting some fresh air is a great way to relieve stress, but it’s important that when we are outdoors, we take the necessary precautions to not only protect ourselves from the spread of COVID-19, but also to protect our skin from the damaging effects of the sun. By wearing sunscreen with factor 30+ and good UV rating, wearing protective clothing when outdoors and avoiding the sun between 11am and 3pm, you can enjoy time outdoors safely without increasing your risk of skin cancer. For more information on how to be SunSmart, click here.

 

4) Be aware of your alcohol intake

While all pubs are closed, it may be easy to be complacent about the amount we are drinking or over- pour on measures while at home. If you are drinking at home, it is important to be aware of how much alcohol you are consuming and ensure you are not drinking to excess. To learn more about the facts and figures of alcohol related cancers as well as read the recommended weekly intake guidelines for men, click here.

 

5) Don’t Smoke

While it is recommended that you do not smoke, and if you are currently a smoker, what you need to do to quit, while spending extended periods of time at home, tracking the amount that you are smoking and holding yourself to the same smoke break schedule you would in work can help to limit the amount you are smoking on a daily basis. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable illness across the globe and is a major contributor to many of Ireland’s most common cancers in men, including lung cancer. For some helpful tips on how to quit, click here.

 

For more information on how to stay both physically and mentally healthy during this challenging time, visit the Stay Home, Stay Healthy Page at mariekeating.ie

 

To help those on a cancer journey stay healthy at home, the Marie Keating Foundation have created the free six part Cancer and COVID-19 Wellness Webinar series to provide expert advice on how to stay physically, mentally and emotionally healthy while at home or cocooning. To see a full list of webinars on offer and to sign up today, click here. Kindly supported by Roche.