Dr C: “It’s so important to get moving and reach out to others”

Another coronavirus shutdown during winter poses different health worries to the first. Dr Christian wants us to focus on avoiding both loneliness and inactivity to keep ourselves well…

Being in a lockdown during winter is very challenging. There are two key things we all need to pay attention to: loneliness and movement. With orders to stay at home and instructions not to mix socially, many people will be worried about being isolated – and with good reason. Just because you can’t test for loneliness in a lab, like blood pressure or heart rate, doesn’t mean it isn’t a marker of health. We think of it as an emotional problem, but it can have physical impacts, too.

DON’T IGNORE YOUR FEELINGS

Research has linked increased loneliness with a higher risk of high blood pressure, weight gain, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. The thinking is that if you’re feeling lonely day in, day out, you’re constantly stimulating the stress system in your body and that leads to wear and tear, which can make you unwell. Another important factor is that lonely people who feel down or depressed are more likely to smoke, eat badly or drink too much to mask those feelings. In other words, loneliness can change

48

the way you perceive yourself, and therefore the way you look after yourself. We all need to make sure that if we’re feeling lonely, we recognise that and do something to help ourselves.

IDENTIFY THE CAUSE

It’s important to understand what loneliness means. It’s not to do with who you live with, or how many friends you have on social media; it’s when someone feels that their social needs are not being met, so there is an imbalance between the social life they want and the one they have. It’s not about whether you live alone, it’s about whether you feel alone. You could live by yourself but have three brilliant friends and feel happy, or have 2,000 Facebook friends and two flatmates and feel lonely.

STAY IN TOUCH

We know that exercise, nutrition and rest are three pillars of health, but socialising is also key, so try to build social interaction into your day, every day, by picking up the phone to speak to friends and family, having a socially-distanced chat with the postman, the guy you buy your takeaway coffee from, or a dog walker you see in the park. Grabbing a takeaway coffee and going for a sociallydistanced walk with a friend may be more beneficial to your health than a supposedly “healthy” night in eating a salad and doing yoga.

LOSE THE STIGMA

Loneliness still has a stigma – it makes people feel embarrassed or ashamed, and that’s wrong. It doesn’t just impact older people. It can impact anyone of any age, so acknowledge it, and try to be more social, even in small ways. Social media gives a very false sense of being connected – real connections happen when we talk to people we care about.

FAKE A COMMUTE

My other worry is how sedentary we’ll all be getting in a second lockdown. Most people will be walking less than ever, having lost commutes to work, and no longer popping out to get a sandwich at lunch. Many of us are also getting groceries delivered to our front door, so we don’t even need to walk around the supermarket. You could easily only be taking a handful of steps a day. In March, lots of us were full of good intentions, taking up running and cycling, but now it’s cold and dark, it requires more discipline. Previous research found that “incidental physical activity” – like walking to the station, taking the stairs, walking to the shop – all make a big impact on health, but they’ve all gone, so we need to replace them. Activity is good for your heart, muscles and your mental health. Our bodies are incredibly efficient and are constantly remodelling

themselves according to need, so if you stop doing something, your body adapts, removing energy-inefficient things like muscles, which burn energy all the time. Your body decides they’re not needed. That’s why, when you break an arm and have it in plaster for six weeks, it’s so much smaller when you take that plaster off. We need to keep moving or we lose muscle mass – and that keeps us burning more calories, keeps our metabolic rate higher, keeps blood pressure in check and protects us from things like Type 2 diabetes. If you’ve lost your commute and you don’t do your lunchtime walk, find a substitute. Maybe aim for a certain number of steps a day.

GET OUT AS A FAMILY

Look at the average you were doing in February before all of this, and replicate it. If you haven’t managed that, you will need to eat fewer calories, by making your portions a little smaller – because if you’re eating the same amount but doing far less exercise, you will put on weight. If you’re a parent, set a good example for your kids. Children who missed school for six months also missed walking or cycling to school, playing at break, and doing PE for that whole time. Although schools are open, families need to be active together. If your child has put on weight, don’t blame them and treat exercise as “punishment”. That could feel like they’re being picked on. Instead, be active as a family, playing games in the park, taking the dog for walks, or going for a bike ride. Don’t call it exercise, just do anything that gets them moving, and which they enjoy.

MONITOR SNACKS

Just like you, if they aren’t moving and are snacking all the time, you need to ensure those snacks aren’t all crisps and chocolate, or they will gain weight. Offer fruit, yoghurt, wholemeal toast and other healthy options.

During challenging times, it is easy to spiral into anxiety and depression. A recent study found that 80 per cent of us have felt a decline in our mental health, so remember that you are most definitely not alone. Before you can make any positive changes, first identify the things that are making you unhappy. Write down some categories such as health, happiness, relationships, finances, self etc, then think of what might help you. If it’s finances, where can you cut back? If it’s your mood, practise these behaviours that are clinically evidenced to help reduce some of the difficult feelings. Diaphragmatic breathing has been proven to reduce anxiety and increase a sense of control over your emotional world. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out through your mouth for four, and hold for four. Do this every morning. Create some mindful minutes by opening a window, letting in the fresh air, and allowing yourself to pay full attention to the outside world. Listen to birdsong, the rustling of the breeze and allow yourself to connect fully with the here and now. When working, take regular breaks outside, not simply for fresh air, but to stop, be still, and reset. Ten minutes outside, listening to nature, can help you gain perspective and feel less stressed. Finally, remember how far you have come, and how long you have already managed with this uncertain time. While this current situation is hard for us all, it really will pass and life will return to normal eventually.