We are currently in a transitional phase wherein the world is presently pacing itself on a race against Covid-19 to rollout vaccination programs before the virus can infect and do more damage and take more innocent lives. And with that said, while most of us acknowledge the hard effort and progress made since this whole ordeal began, it’s not a time for us to be lax, but it’s growing increasingly important that we work together to put this pandemic to a final halt.
Therefore, instead of bearing the burden all by ourselves as we hunker down at home, we strongly recommend community leaders and neighborhood representatives take the first step of implementing community-based lifestyle intervention programs. Not only for the purpose of monitoring everyone’s overall health and keeping everyone accountable but to remind each of us within arm’s reach that we stand united during these trying times.
What Are The Benefits Of Holding These Programs?
While the saying two heads are better than one may sound overused and oversaturated, collaboration and cooperation of multiple individuals will always triumph over individual effort, and the same principle applies when implementing community-based lifestyle intervention programs. Many studies show that helping one another through community programs can significantly increase the quality of life, and when appropriately applied in the new normal, it can improve the overall community’s health and well-being on many holistic levels.
- Breaks The Tension And Anxiety: We’ve all been through the preliminary state of tension and anxiety during the first episodes of lockdown, but even after a year has passed, many of us still feel the same effects, albeit not as serious. However, we should never invalidate these feelings because they can go awry at any moment, and community lifestyle programs can help break the tension and alleviate any feelings of anxiety altogether.
- Build A Healthy Support Group: While we all have friends and family to call and recollect with, it doesn’t hurt to have another support group in the form of active community members helping each other. Remember, at our very core, we are social people by nature, and we are drawn to confiding with others. When we can feel at ease with the community, this can significantly remove anyone’s stressors and free them of negative thoughts.
Here’s Where You Can Start
Lucky for us, there are many iterations of community-based lifestyle programs that your homeowner association or neighborhood group can implement, so don’t take these suggestions as strict to the last detail, and feel free to tailor-fit it for your respective community. You can use these suggestions as a set guideline or maybe even mix and match different ones to give everyone a flavorful taste of what true community spirit feels like.
#1 Safe & Responsible Hiking Groups
Although some people still regard the outside world as unsafe, there are many outdoor activities that are perfectly fine to engage in, so as long as you follow social distancing guidelines. And one of those that we strongly recommend doing is hosting a safe & responsible hiking group at least once or twice a week. As a good rule of thumb, try sticking with less popular areas and maintain a good safe distance from each other, and you’re pretty good to go. You can even consider hosting picnics and lunches as long as everyone brings their own food and utensils, eating together in each other’s company.
#2 Online Community Dance Classes
If you think more people in your community are up for expressing themselves through dancing, then holding online community dance classes is an excellent way of keeping everyone active while staying at the comfort of their home. From Zumba to learning the basics of Cha-Cha, there are many social dances you can try, provided that you can get the help of a dance instructor to guide everyone and keep them motivated throughout the session.
#3 Low-Risk Sports Activities
While close contact sports are a definite no for safety and health reasons, there are many low-risk sports activities that you can easily host without worrying too much about breaking social distancing rules. For example, you can hold a local league for Tennis matches every weekend or maybe a short track for cycling groups. We recommend sticking with sports activities that don’t require you to stay indoors and don’t need a lot of players on each team.
Of Course, Don’t Forget To Track Everyone’s Progress.
As a side note, it’s always good practice to monitor everyone’s health and progress as you implement more and more community-based lifestyle intervention programs. With the help of a professional health coach and certified physician, you can ensure everyone’s well-being is always in check and that no one is ever put in harm’s way.
We Need To Work Together
Overall, working together is all the more important now than it will ever be in the future, and there’s no better representation of collaboration than the embodiment of community spirit. So, take action and get in contact with your local community head to make the shift to positive change.
