Covid 19 coronavirus: Lockdown could be a good chance to kick some bad habits

By Newstalk ZB

NZ Herald·

26 Mar, 2020 11:21 PM2 mins to read

Lockdown might be the perfect opportunity to form some healthy habits. Photo / 123rf

Lockdown could be your chance to break old habits.

It's day two of the Level 4 Covid-19 lockdown, set to be in place for four weeks.

Clinical nutritionist Ben Warren told Newstalk ZB people should adopt a healthy diet and maintain exercise.

Research showed links between healthy eating and good mental health, he said.

Warren said it was an opportunity to set new routine, "especially early on in the piece – getting up at certain times, having a good wholesome breakfast, scheduling in breaks and then getting some sun on you".

He said people should aim to be buying whole foods - including "lots and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables".

Warren said the lockdown gave people time to try new recipes.

Auckland University professor Shaun Hendy, who co-authored a research paper suggesting up to 80,000 Kiwis could die without strict measures, emphasised the key role the lockdown plays in reducing the spread of coronavirus.

He told Newstalk ZB the lockdown gave the country a "really good chance" of stamping coronavirus out.

Hendy said the large suggested figure wasn't alarmist – but instead a realistic worst-case scenario.

He said by acting now, coronavirus' spread would be slowed and officials would have enough time to catch up with finding close contacts and conducting tests.