Fitness first: Here's how to manage your weight during the pandemic
It is important to shed those extra kilos even while staying at home, says Atul Kapoor, Founder Sense.bio, an AI-backed health tech and fitness startup. Here are his five top tips...
Have you gained a few extra kilos while staying indoor during lockdown? You do not have to specifically hit the gym or yoga centres to look fabulously fit.
People, irrespective of their profession and age can manage their weight effectively while making a safe weight loss journey at home.
However, it can become quite hard to lose those extra pounds while staying at home and with limited resources.
The lockdown has made quite a few citizens gain weight.
Many fitness experts recommend making a few adjustments in your daily routine to lose weight.
Entrepreneurs and working professionals are considered to be at higher risk of stress and medical problems. They always work under high pressure and in a stressful environment that contributes to the difficulty in maintaining their waistline. Due to the lack of physical activities and inactive schedules, their metabolism becomes slower which makes it more challenging to shed that unwanted fat stored in the body.
Additionally, there are risks associated with nutritional deficiencies that happen because of careless eating habits, further hampering the weight loss process.
Here are a few tactics that working adults can incorporate in their daily routine to lose weight and boost their health:
Estimate your calorie intake
Working from home brings a lot of perks with uninvited weight gain. It brings a lot of changes in the composition and metabolism of the body. To aid the weight loss journey, eating habits need to be changed.
Most people tend to eat far more calories than what is required by their bodies which results in gradual weight gain.
To estimate the calorie intake, you can keep a food diary for two weeks to track your food and activity along with the weight. There are also many apps available that can be used to calculate your calorie goals and to manage your daily calorie intake.
Tracking your food intake and recording activity helps you maintain a healthy weight.
To stay healthy, you should eat food that is full of nutrients without adding extra calories. Mainly green and leafy vegetables should be included in your daily diet to aid the fat-burning process.
Do away with saturated and over-processed foods to keep the cholesterol level under control.
Learn to include strength training
When it comes to losing weight, cardio sessions are very important, regardless of your body type. It works extremely well for teenagers. However, in adults, it can show contrary results. As the muscle mass declines with age, it slows down the metabolism that hinders weight loss.
Adding strength training sessions to the fitness routine is essential for holistic physical fitness in adults. It helps in building muscles that promote healthy weight loss.
It is imperative to add strength training to your daily workout routine.
Strategic weight lifting and bodyweight exercises significantly improve muscle strength and make your body active throughout the day. Additionally, it boosts the metabolism that further helps in reducing body fat.
Increase your protein intake
A protein-rich diet is crucial for mid-age adults. It is the key to building and maintaining muscle mass and strength that ultimately promotes physical activity. It not only aids in weight loss but also assists in reversing muscle loss caused due to slow metabolism or inactive physical schedule.
Several studies also show that increasing the consumption of protein helps in maintaining weight for long-term health benefits.
Proteins are excellent when it comes to promoting physical activity.
Many fitness experts recommend limiting the consumption of red meat. Instead, replacing it with lean protein sources like eggs, lentils, chicken breast and nuts can help in meeting your nutrition goals. These proteins keep the stomach full and up the calorie-burning process.
Implement healthy hydration
Keeping the body hydrated is important for healthy weight loss. Usually, during mid-age adults who are working professionals or entrepreneurs, tend to get less thirsty. They become dehydrated which is medically not good for their health and weight loss.
Good hydration is essentially important for your quality of life. It includes focusing on plenty of fluids that aid in digestion and healthy weight loss.
It is important to keep hydrating yourself throughout the day.
Pre-made or packed drinks with added sugars are not recommended as they are strongly linked to weight gain. These drinks can also result in diabetes and diseases associated with fatty liver.
Replacing them with plain water, herbal tea or home-made smoothies/ drinks can significantly help in weight reduction.
Improve your sleep quality
Stress in working professionals and entrepreneurs affects the quality of sleep. Furthermore, sleeping less than 6 hours a day hinders weight loss. It increases the appetite, calorie intake, and causes metabolic dysfunction in the body.
There is a direct correlation between sleep and weight loss, and getting quality sleep is everything for a healthy mind and body.
The connection between sleep and weight loss in adults cannot be ignored. Sleep-deprived adults experience day-time fatigue that makes them feel less motivated for physical activities. They are more likely to get tired in the first half of the day.
Having quality sleep for at least 7 to 8 hours a day enhances the body’s capability of responding to foods consumed throughout the day. Additionally, it helps the brain in making right and healthy choices and resisting tempting foods.
And finally...
Weight loss seems extremely hard without physical activities. However, it is not impossible to achieve your goals if you are working and are restricted to go to your fitness centre due to the pandemic. With the right nutrition backed by consistent efforts, anyone can shed their overall body fat.
(Image Credits: Shutterstock)
Edited by Asha Chowdary
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)