Supporting Healthy Lifestyles During a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused stress for people around the country and made it difficult for people to continue healthy lifestyle habits that they had pre-pandemic. Workplace and school shutdowns and the layoffs that some people experienced caused drastic changes to how people live their lives and what kind of activities they are able to do. The most common thing I hear in conversations with patients is that the pandemic caused them to become substantially less active since they are at home almost all the time and the stress of the world caused their eating habits to change as well.

My position as a Health Educator at Heartland Health Centers is to help patients set goals and help hold them accountable to the goals that they set for themselves. Many patients need this service now more than ever before, since a lot of the supports that people used to have to eat balanced diets and exercise regularly are gone for the foreseeable future. For many patients this service is more accessible than it ever has been since we are providing these services through telehealth. A 30-minute phone or video conversation for some patients makes all the difference in helping them understand what their goals are and what they can do to help themselves.

Many patients have questions about ways they can continue to be active as cold weather sets in in Chicago. Many people relied on outdoor activities during the summer and indoor activities during the winter to stay active, but many people do not feel comfortable going to the gym or going outside in the cold weather. Finding activities that feel safe for everyone to stay active is difficult, but luckily Heartland Health Centers offers free virtual fitness classes to the community for anyone to participate in and stay active doing things like Zumba, yoga, or even exercises using a chair. Decreasing barriers to fitness by bringing it to people’s homes and creating a support system virtually is an important way to help people stay healthy through this pandemic.

Many patients also struggle to manage chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes during this pandemic, and my position provides support for this, too. Some patients just need reminders of what they can do to manage these conditions outside of medication and others need support and follow up to meet goals of exercising and managing what they eat. Whatever patients need, I am there to help educate and empower them to make positive changes in their lives and to let them know that they are not alone in their struggles. This pandemic has made the past year difficult for many people, but taking care of ourselves during this time is the most important thing anyone can do.