Taking Charge of the “Quarantine 15” With Fresh Air, Exercise and Education

COVID-19 and the worldwide pandemic changed many aspects of our lives.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the COVID-19 confinement resulted in a decrease in all levels of physical fitness with a 28% increase in daily sitting. The home confinement also increased unhealthy food consumption. Being home more meant more cooking, often in the form of comfort food that are known for having more sugar, fat, and sodium. These changes in daily living sometime resulted in weight gain that was dubbed by some to be the “Quarantine 15”.

In an effort to shed the dreaded “Quarantine 15”, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program assistant in Anderson County KY started offering classes outdoors. Classes were held in the parking lot, on the sidewalk and even in the County Park. Participants learned about healthy eating, reading the labels, and food safety. Healthy recipes were provided to replace the unhealthy ones. Learning about physical fitness was also part of the class, exercises were done based on the fitness level of the participants. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week for adults. Taking part in the fitness class was a step in the right direction to becoming more active.

The results from one of the groups showed that participation in daily exercise increased from 46% when the class started to 83% upon completion. Being physical active helps us to maintain good physical and psychological health, it also helps prevent chronic illnesses like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Taking part in these classes provided the knowledge to improve quality of life, and provided some fresh air and sunshine.