While keeping yourself safe indoors, our bodies and minds still need exercise to function well and keep the spirit up during these challenging times. We at Berjaya Sompo Insurance (BSIB) despite working from home, we tend to exercise regularly to keep our bodies active. Practising healthy eating habits are vital to keeping the body strong while staying indoors. Food is one of the most important tools for a life lived well. Running out of ideas about how to stay active and what to eat while staying indoors? Check out how some of our colleagues stay active while working at home and the Go-to meal recommendations by our colleagues here. Shoutout to team #StayAtHome!

Definitely is a must, do any type of exercise that you’re comfortable at, I do my dumbbell (25lbs) bicep curl and triceps, roller exercise on my abdomen and “Gym In The Pocket” rubber for stretching workout. Otherwise, when I go out to get groceries, instead of walking, after getting our from my vehicle, I will run to the store from my vehicle and back. Just need to sweat it out and do my gardening to keep lots of body movement. Take away my maid’s work and mop the floor and clean the toilet. That’s a good workout. Stay away from junk food and carbonated drinks. Drink tea or coffee is alright. The same type of food group that I consumed every day except it had been reduced by 30%.

Every morning I start my day with exercise. Discipline is key, spending 15 minutes, with only 20 seconds of rest in between my resistance band and bodyweight exercises. It is okay to eat chocolate but keep it very small example 1 mini tart or 1 small TimTam. Eat a balanced meal with carbs, protein and fibre. "Keep deep-fried and sweets at a minimal. Here is an example of my daily routine:

My routine (indoors) since the start of WFH can be broken down into two (2) categories: Cardio (15 minutes max) and Strength & Core  (45 minutes max). Absolutely NO equipment needed. Just a positive mindset and attitude is all that is required.

Always remember that whenever you plan to start a routine, it needs to come from your HEART and NOT from ANY extrinsic factors (boredom, looking fat and I need to FORCE myself to work-out, peer pressure). What gives you the motivation to push your self to change your daily routine? Keep that reason at the back of your mind every day and it will soon be a force of good habit. If possible, find a work-out partner. This method will provide you with the additional push/motivation you need via challenges to out-do one's self. Always be patient when doing your routine. Do not rush your sets and rest often (that include drinking loads of water).
If you cannot complete your allocated reps in a set, just take a breather. Do not force yourself as you will be prone to injuries. If you do not see any results in 1 – 2 months, do NOT EVER give up. This is because each individual has different metabolism rate. 

As space is limited I do not have the luxury of running around the area, I do stretching at home and some meditation to keep my body and mind healthy. It is very important to eat healthy during MCO so that you build a strong immune system to combat the virus. I make sure I do not skip any of my meals. However, there is a big temptation to snack once in a while. So I substitute snacking junk food with healthy ones. Since my favourite fruits are abundant in grocers, I mix them up into a bowl with plain yoghurt – it can even be a meal. I have my overnight oats every morning, rice/noodles for lunch and light dinner.

I practice yoga at home, do some stretching to maintain my body flexibility, and meditation by deep breathing exercise. It is very important to keep the mind calm, body relaxation and help to sleep better. During MCO period we always stay indoor, not much walking activity and sitting in front of PC most of the time, I will reduce the carbs intake by taking less rice, taking more vegetables and fruits. I also take vitamin C as a supplement, to increase the immune system. "Every morning, I will start the day with drinking lots of water, by adding a slice of lemon in lukewarm water, as a detoxifying agent. I will then prepare a simple sandwich with egg mayo, or sardine. I also tried to make the famous dalgona coffee by learning from youtube, somehow it works! My lunch can be plain porridge with simple dishes such as steam fish, vegetables etc. Tea Time I will have yoghourt, tea and biscuits. My dinner is usually rice, with vegetables, chicken dishes and soup.

Stay connected and engaged with family, friends, colleagues through digital platforms available, having a virtual potluck, fellowship, progress updates. Effective communication established among superiors and co-worker is crucial; Therapeutic activities at home premises - Sing, dance, meditate, set no limit in reading (finishing with Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" and "The things you can see only when you slow down" by Haemin Sunim.; Appreciate the blooming flowers and cultivate the fig tree to bring forth fruits, cherish every little thing in life.

Body Physical training - major focus on stretching and core workout, with some weight-training in place, morning or evening, interchangeably. Make it a point to enhance, enrich and energize yourself at this period of MCO! As the saying goes, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, but rather, that which is most adaptable to change."

I usually set up a 1-hour workout schedule at least 3 or 4 times a week in the afternoon after 5.00 pm. Normally, I will spend 15-20 mins of cardio workouts such as jumping jacks or jogging in place or around the house yard, and squat jumps. But before that, I do my usual 10 mins of stretching. The rest of the time I will play with my family, tossing a rugby ball or kick around a football, and sometimes badminton for half an hour. There are a lot of tips that we can find on the internet for ideas on personal work or even spending time together with your own family. As for food, take less sugar and salt. I also substitute chicken or meat with fish or seafood for a change. Eating fruits before a meal is the best. I usually have dates, apple, pear or banana. In the morning, I start my day with a glass of fresh milk blended with dried figs, dates and honey.
 

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