How to keep your routine while staying home.
We’re all in it together. We’re facing a pandemic and need to do our part by staying home and staying healthy.
It’s a new world for all of us. But with a highly developed digital landscape at our disposal, this doesn’t mean we must stop our daily routine. In fact, many businesses and services are making it easier every day to continue our daily life as we get through this challenge.
Fitness
A big part of keeping healthy means exercise. But with gyms and fitness centers closed, what can we do?
Orange County-based celebrity fitness trainer and nutritionist Nancy Anderson offers remote training and two fitness apps that offer workouts and nutrition for all fitness levels. Treadthrill is a running and strength, virtual group-training studio (treadthrill.com) and Move Your Bump is a pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and post-pregnancy virtual group-training studio (moveyourbump.mom).
“For 14 years I have been telling my clients that although we all want to look a certain way, what is most important is what’s going on inside your body and that your only true wealth in life is your health,” she says. “And this has never been more clear than it is right now. Disease, viruses and your health are not protected by social status or money or luck. What you put in your body, how and if you move your body paired with stress management is what shapes the wealth you truly have.”
She says that with the increased stress we’re all feeling, it’s more important than ever to support our bodies.
“Exercise has been shown in countless studies to be one of the best tools to do this,” she says. “It pumps up your feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins, which then helps to elevate your mood and balance cortisol levels — stress hormones. Exercise can be thought of as meditation-in-motion, helping to take your mind off the worries and shift your energy away from worry and back into the present moment where we all need to be.”
She offers some tips for staying healthy at home:
- Schedule it. Make an appointment with yourself first thing in the morning, right before lunch, or right before bedtime, for example, to ensure that your workout happens.
- Get an in-home workout solution. It’s hard to get motivated and stay motivated while also having to create your own workout program. Join a virtual group training studio like Treadthrill or Move Your Bump, where you can be in touch with your coach, follow along workouts that are video and/or audio and have a workout schedule to follow.
- Eat healthy. “There [are] a lot of issues with my clients finding the foods they want right now,” she says. “My biggest suggestion is start with your protein and healthy fats and then build on that with produce or frozen veggies if you have them available in your area. In stressful times it’s easy to reach for sugar and starch but this will actually not support your health and can drag down your immune system. … If you’re having issues finding protein in your stores, try some new proteins that aren’t as popular that grocery stores may still have plenty of such as ground turkey, lamb or different types of fish.”
Food
Considering many OC families are now working at home while helping educate kids while school’s out, there might not be a lot of time for cooking. That’s OK, because many local restaurants — while closed for dining in — are adapting by offering takeout, curbside and delivery options.
Mona Shah, a mom of three and owner of Moxxe PR, Inc. in North Tustin, whose public relations business serves local restaurants, says the state order that all restaurants close their dining rooms has had a deep impact.
“The ones who are staying open are looking to best accommodate what people are looking for right now,” says
Shah, whose husband, Max Schlutz, owns Sessions West Coast Deli. “Most are offering family meals since we know so many families are home together right now. With school out, they are mindful of offering things that kids will enjoy. Many have responded to the outrageous lines at the supermarket by offering their loyal guests the convenience of ‘shopping’ at the restaurant — some have created grocery lists that allow guests to pre-order everything from eggs and milk to portion-cut steaks and fresh fish for curbside pickup. Others are setting up pop-up markets that look and feel like a gourmet market so that guests can shop without lines or crowds, and have access to some of the best produce, meats and dry goods available.” 
She says the local restaurant community is struggling and relying on local support to stay in business.
“Sadly, some restaurants have decided to close their doors — either their menu and concept didn’t translate to takeout, or they were concerned for the health of their employees,” she says. “However, it’s remarkable to see the creative and innovative ideas most of the independent restaurateurs have demonstrated. Within days, many restaurants have developed and launched takeout and delivery programs that maintain the integrity of their brand. Many are also taking advantage of the opportunity to sell alcohol — from wine and beer, to pre-made batch cocktails. They say that necessity is the mother of invention and these entrepreneurs have re-invented themselves almost overnight and it’s really quite an honor to work with them and inspiring to witness firsthand.”
Looking to order out? The Orange County Restaurant Association has created TimeForTakeOut.com, a free online resource to promote restaurants in Orange County, Los Angeles and Long Beach. Guests can search for restaurants by region or specific city to make it easy to support local eateries.
Fun
As our time at home continues, innovative resources are becoming available for families that need to keep themselves active indoors:
Dadventures at Home — Offering daily curated home-based family play as well as solo play activities. hellodadventures.com
The Fab Lab Digital Daycare — A new livestream experience featuring four hours of live, daily “virtual childcare” for children K-5, including a science DIY, kids workout, snack ideas, storytime and more. The Fab Lab activities are designed for the whole family but are easy and safe enough for slightly older kids to do on their own. youtube.com/TheFabLabHQ
Virtual Camps — Many American Camp Association-accredited camps have gone virtual through channels like Facebook Live and YouTube, offering things like nature walks, science talks, arts and crafts, and even homework help:
Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee
YMCA Camp Ernst
Camp Stomping Ground
YMCA Camp Kitaki
Brave Trails Camp
St. Crispin’s Summer CampGirl Scouts of ColoradoCamp Granite Lake
Whippoorwill Farm Day Camp
— Jessica Peralta
Photo 1: Mona Shah’s children, Lara, 5, and Lennon, 5, creating a school environment at home. / Courtesy of Mona Shah
Photo 2: Trainer Nancy Anderson knows how to blend family and fitness. / Photo by Renee Bones
Photo 3: The Roast Chicken from Arc Butcher & Baker in Newport Beach
Photo 4: The Sushi Roku in Newport Beach Family Pack
Photo 5: Virtual activities will keep the whole family entertained. / Photo by McKaela Lee on Unsplash
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