March 2020
BONUS EDITION
There's No Place
Like Home
(Part I)
We're back this month for more tips on healthy living! We're sending three issues this month due to the current effect of the coronavirus. The first topic is how to relieve stress and stay productive and happy during the voluntary quarantine we are all experiencing due to COVID-19.

  • It's important to cope with stress, maintain routines, and not give in to fear.
  • Staying home from the gym does not mean you have to give up exercising, simply adapt to different ways of working out.
Coping with Stress
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.

People Likely to Be Stressed Currently
  • Older people and people with chronic diseases who are at higher risk for COVID-19
  • Children and teens
  • People who are helping with the response to COVID-19, like doctors and other health care providers, or first responders
  • People who have mental health conditions including problems with substance use

Common Stressors Related to COVID-19
  • Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones
  • Changes in sleep or eating patterns
  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
  • Worsening of chronic health problems
  • Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
  • People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms. Additional information can be found at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSAexternal icon) website.

Things You Can Do to Support Yourself
  • Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
  • Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
  • Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
  • Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
  • Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.

Reduce Stress in Yourself and Others
  • Sharing the facts about COVID-19 and understanding the actual risk to yourself and people you care about can make an outbreak less stressful.
  • When you share accurate information about COVID-19 you can help make people feel less stressed and allow you to connect with them.
  • Learn more about taking care of your emotional health.
  • When parents, caregivers, and staff deal with the COVID-19 calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for others. You can be more reassuring to others if you are better prepared.

Tips for Parents, Caregivers, & Staff
Some common changes to watch for include:
  • Excessive crying or irritation
  • Returning to behaviors they have outgrown (for example, toileting accidents or bedwetting)
  • Excessive worry or sadness
  • Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits
  • Irritability and “acting out” behaviors
  • Poor school performance or avoiding school
  • Difficulty with attention and concentration
  • Avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past
  • Unexplained headaches or body pain
  • Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs

How to Best Support Others
  • Take time to talk with them about the COVID-19 outbreak. Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that they can understand.
  • Reassure them that they are safe. Let them know it is ok if they feel upset. Share with them how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn how to cope from you.
  • Limit exposure to news coverage of the event, including social media to reduce misinterpretation and misunderstandings that may cause fear.
  • Try to keep up with regular routines. Create a schedule for learning activities and relaxing or fun activities.
  • Be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well. Connect with others.

For more tips on stress management, view our NJSAP training video below.
At Home Workouts
Dom Thorpe is a personal trainer who specializes in working with people with disabilities to help them get fit and healthy. He's listed the top 10 exercises for people with disabilities, so you can achieve a long-term goal to get fitter, or simply keep active.
Disability sport: top 10 exercises for disabled people

Top disability sports: how you can take part Top 5 accessible cities for wheelchair users Dom Thorpe is a personal trainer who specialises in working with disabled people to help them get fit and healthy. We've asked him to list the top 10...

Read more
disabilityhorizons.com
Fore more ways to workout at home, check out this list from Buzzfeed.
15 Online Workouts You Can Do At Home Instead Of At The Gym

We asked the BuzzFeed Community for their favorite ways to work out and stay active from the comfort of their own homes, given the coronavirus outbreak. Here's what they said. 💪 Note: Some submissions have been edited for length or clarity.

Read more
www.buzzfeed.com
With many gyms now closed indefinitely, Peloton is offering a welcome workout-at-home option: A free 90-day trial of the Peloton app . Available for Android, iOS and Amazon Fire TV, it provides unlimited access to a wealth of live and on-demand classes: treadmill and outdoor running, strength training, HIIT, yoga, meditation and so on. If you choose to continue after the trial, the subscription costs $13 per month.
Let's Stay Healthy at Home!

We need your help to keep this important information flowing! Please make a donation to NJSAP now so we can keep you informed in the future.

Looking to learn more about healthy living?
We can hold a Healthy Lifestyles Workshop at your location!

**Please note, trainings are not currently available and we are working to provide virtual training options. For now, check out our Youtube page for training videos and our website for more resources.
Don't see what you're looking for? We'll make it for you!
E-mail [email protected] or call 732-749-8514 to schedule a training at your location!
The Healthy Lifestyles Project (HLP) is a program of The Arc of New Jersey and receives funding through a grant awarded by The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.
For more information on HLP and NJSAP
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