Coming Out of Hibernation: Readjusting to Eye Healthy Habits

Wow! What a year it’s been! For all of us!

The before times

Prior to the pandemic, I was fit and had a pretty decent diet compatible for eye health. It was close to the Mediterranean diet. In addition, I had a righteous exercise program where I was participating in 2 different group classes.  I was doing either Silver Sneakers or Bodypump 5 to 6 times per week. A little on my background, I’m a 72 year old guy who’s had AMD (wet in one, dry in the other) for 9 years. I’ve had over 80 injections during this time for my wet eye.

Habits change

Then the pandemic hit, and my wife and I obeyed the “stay at home” recommendation for a year!

Exercising went downhill

It was a death blow for my exercise program. I lost most all of the fitness I had gained. I cannot seem to “click” with any kind of at home exercise program. Failing at watching and participating in video classes became a bust for me. Even using a written list of exercises and reps bored me out of my skull. Apparently, I really need the structure and camaraderie that a group class provides.

My dog and I religiously did our 2 mile walks virtually every morning, but this was not enough for me to stay fit like I was prior to the lockdown.

A diet up in flames

As if becoming sedentary wasn’t enough, my diet went down in flames!

What do I mean, you ask?  Boredom eating and snacking.  Binge-watching series on Netflix and Amazon Prime and watching mindless TV in an escapism type of way. It’s almost like my movie theater habits of getting a tub of popcorn and a soft drink were all part of the deal. Carbs galore!  Munching endlessly trying to self-medicate with food and snacks.

One night on the national news, I heard a doctor make an astounding statement, he said; “many if not most people had gained an average of 2 pounds per month during lockdown!” In a year, this would be 24 pounds! Gadzooks! I may not have gained this much, but I did gain a lot in addition to trading muscle for fat.

Sedentary

And gaining weight and losing fitness is not the only negative parts of being sedentary:

• My resting pulse rate went up, taxing my heart.
• Blood pressure numbers elevated over what they were.
• Emotional and psychological state also suffered.
• Sleep was also impacted, I became restless and didn’t get the deep rejuvenating type of sleep I had enjoyed.

The list goes on...

The list of negatives could go on and on, but that’s enough for now.

So let’s fast forward to the present day. My wife and I received both doses of Pfizer and we are now fully vaccinated. Past opportunities like the gym and group classes are now a viable option.

Making changes

Also, visiting family and grandkids are on my horizon. Swapping processed foods (read carbs) for more fruits and vegetables. Curtailing red meat intake and going with fish like salmon for my protein.

I also want to reinstate an old healthy habit, DON’T EAT ANYTHING AFTER DINNER! For me, that means no after-dinner late-night snacking. (A lesser-known perk of this practice is, you’ll sleep better and more soundly).

Emerging from hibernation

So this bear is coming out of hibernation. It’s “dues paying” time for physical activity. I may not like it at first, and like a grouchy bear waking up, I may growl a little bit. But, I know for a fact that my enthusiasm will soon kick in, and I will feel better and be better for it.

I hope that if this applies in any way to you, that you’ll join me on the road back from this past year. Wishing you all well on our shared journey.