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How has the Pandemic Affected our Health?

How has the Pandemic Affected our Health

We have been living with the pandemic for a year now and, during the last 12 months, there has been a great strain on both our physical and mental health due to both the transmission of the virus and as a result of imposed social restrictions.

With limitations placed on the way we exercise, work, and see our friends and family, it was inevitable that there would be some kind of crisis to come out of it all on top of the pandemic itself.

Besides going out for essential reasons, we have been limited to sitting indoors and staring at the same four walls. For those fortunate to live in a house with lots of space and ample garden space, lockdown restrictions have been slightly more bearable (though still hard) than for those who are confined to a small living space with little to no outside area. For those people, the lockdown has been incredibly difficult.

Exercising in the Pandemic

Ironically, one of the main excuses for not exercising before the pandemic was that we did not have enough time in the day. Now, we have far more time than we ever had before and arguably even less opportunity to workout.

That is because gyms have either been completely closed or open to a limited capacity – not to mention the understandable concern of being in a confined place with other people exhaling in the middle of a pandemic.

For the most part, home workouts have been our only form of exercise which, as already stated above, if you live in a small place then it may not already be possible. You require at least a little bit of room to exercise at home, even if you plan on completing a quick 20-minute HIIT workout.

The only other option we have had is to go out on a run or a bike ride in the local area. Depending on where your local area is, that may or may not be a viable option.

Education

Children have been forced to learn from home rather than attending school as they usually would in normal times. Not only does this mean that the large majority of children (as some are still attending school.

If their parents/guardians are classed as key workers) miss out on face-to-face teaching, it also means that PE is not happening which, for many kids, is the only form of exercise they may get in the week.

Undoubtedly, children have been hit incredibly hard during the pandemic as they have missed out on almost a full year’s worth of education.

However, it is important to remember that there are millions of children living in developing countries that are not given the chance to attend schools and colleges, with charities running various hafiz sponsorship appeals to grant them an education and a better opportunity in life.

Education is a right for all children and, with schools closed, parents and guardians have had to step up…alongside holding down their own jobs.

Mental Health

Mental health is the silent crisis that healthcare professionals are bracing themselves for when the pandemic is over, with depression rising as a result of the stress of dealing with everything and not able to break your echo chamber about the last year has thrown at us.

Families that have been separated (grandparents, parents, and children unable to see one another) are prone to suffering from loneliness, especially if they live alone.

Anyone living with poor mental health should seek out support, either from a loved one or a professional, instead of suffering in silence. The pandemic has been hard and there is still a little way to go yet but, with the rollout of vaccines, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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