(Re)viving the Metabolism

2020 will be remembered as the year of the Covid19 pandemic, lockdowns, and isolation from loved ones, but also as a period that marked a substantial change in habits and lifestyles. The forced introduction of remote working and online lessons has disrupted routines and made the day much more static and sedentary. And months later, many people still haven't managed to regain their routines. The upcoming winter, given the endemic spread of the virus, promises to be not much different.

Behaviors have changed by necessity, especially for two large categories: students and workers forced into remote work.

Students, especially adolescents, have lost all sense of time (wake-up, breakfast, school activities, sports, etc.), and the regularity of the day has been completely disrupted in many cases. Waking up late (online lessons haven't always worked as they should), skipping breakfast and morning snacks, spending a lot of time on the phone, at home - between bed, couch, or sitting at the desk - and going to bed much later than usual.

Circadian rhythms, especially during growth, are crucial, as well as healthy physical activity and regular nutrition. Therefore, the health risk at this historical moment is becoming more serious.

Likewise, for all those who work and will continue to work from home in the coming months, there needs to be a deep reflection on the way their day is structured: going from bed to desk, from desk to table (if everything goes well), or worse, having lunch in front of the screen, and so on, until the evening between dinner, couch, and TV, is not good.

There's a real danger of a drastic reduction in energy expenditure, risking day after day to "turn off" one's metabolism with unpleasant repercussions on weight gain and the accumulation of body fat, which is directly related to the level of systemic inflammation.

Let's avoid falling into the paradox: I stay at home to protect myself from the virus, but I expose myself to sedentariness and weight gain, thereby worsening my health conditions.

It becomes fundamental to establish some small rules to stay active.

Here are some useful suggestions to reignite and keep our metabolism active:

for students:

Wake up by 9 a.m. (so, in bed by 1 a.m.) even without online classes.

Mandatory breakfast by 10 a.m.

1 hour of physical activity per day (even broken up into multiple sessions).

for everyone:

Regularity of meals: 3 main meals and 2 snacks > splitting meals is an excellent method to keep the metabolism active.

Avoid sedentary behaviors (less couch and armchair, more household chores).

For those who own a treadmill or exercise bike and can't carve out a full hour > 10 minutes of activity 3-4 times a day (e.g., morning before breakfast, 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m.) can be a boon for mind and body.

Allow for active breaks from computer work (walk around the house, go up and down stairs), get up and move as often as possible (maximum every 2 hours).

Practice outdoor sports (or in the gym, at off-peak hours), respecting distancing and current Covid safety regulations.

Dr. Concetta Mauriello