We speak with founder of Flow Athletic Ben Lucas and meditation guru Luke McLeod and on how to manage your health whilst in lockdown.
Lockdowns suck – there is no other way to put it. Prioritising health while bunkering down however, is something your future self with thank you for.
Ben’s says his top two to survive lockdown are exercise and sleep:
Exercise:
Moving your body is important year round, however many believe- myself included, that winter is the best time to exercise. You may find that you sweat less when working out in winter, and the cold air leaves you feeling invigorated and fresh.
Sleep:
As the old Irish proverb goes ‘a good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book’, and it’s not wrong. Prioritising sleep is a game changer not only for alertness but for mental and physical health as well as for boosting energy levels and creativity.
Aim for at least 8 hours and ban blue light 1-2 hours before bed.
Luke says his top three health tips to survive lockdown are meditation, breath work and diet:
Meditation and Mindfulness:
You should work on mindfulness every day, comparing it to fitness in the sense that it is essential to whole body health and should be a priority for everyone.
He swears by meditation and has recently developed a 4-week introduction to meditation program called THRIVE. This course is perfect for beginners, teaching key mindfulness principles that can help deal with difficult emotions such as stress and anxiety.
With one in five Australian’s reporting high or very high levels of psychological distress linked to the COVID19 pandemic mindfulness has never been more important.
Breath Work:
Luke teaches fire breath to his members at Soul Alive and even introduces it to new meditators in his online THRIVE workshop.
This form of breath control is a great way to clear the body by flooding it with oxygen. Fire breath also builds energy and is a great form of release stress.
Diet:
The research is clear that gut health is linked to overall health. If you have an unhealthy gut bloating, food Intolerances, pain and constipation are just some of the unpleasant symptoms that may follow.
Luke prioritises his gut health by eating whole foods like green leafy veggies, nuts, lean proteins.
He is also a big fan of a daily Kombucha or Apple Cider Vinegar Soda, beverages which favour good gut bacteria and in turn gut health. His go-to brand is Nexba which is naturally sugar free and delicious, and their probiotic rich kombucha is a good replacement for alcohol.