If you’re feeling more tired, stressed out, irritable or anxious, it’s not just in your head. Those are all symptoms of COVID-19 fatigue, which experts confirm is a real thing.
With winter also around the corner, people may be feeling less motivated to stay on top of their health and fitness routines as the pandemic continues to affect the daily lives of Albertans.
“There are lots of things that are outside of our control,” Dr. Mark Slomp, a psychologist with the University of Lethbridge, said.
Slomp says it’s imperative for people to find things to do that energize them and engage their interests, such as a hobby, exercise, spending time with loved ones or even volunteering.
“That might be getting involved in something new, pursuing a hobby or an interest that you’ve always put off. Now is that time to do that,” he said.
Joel Kitkas, the owner of Fit Body Boot Camp said regular exercise is a great way to take care of both mental and physical health.
“Exercise is one of the things that has gone on the back burner for people, when unfortunately it should have been top of mind, top of priority — not just for physical, but for mental health,” Kitkas stated.
Kitkas adds a workout can even be as short as half an hour and still be beneficial.
“Workouts don’t have to be long, I mean even here at Fit Body Boot Camp, classes are 30 minutes,” he said. “A lot of times, people think you need to work out for an hour… it doesn’t need to be that way.
“Something people can focus on doing, is doing things fast, but obviously you want to focus on doing the right exercises and doing them properly.”
He adds eating nutritional food will help supplement exercise and a positive mind set.