Healthy Tasmania hosts Facebook live #kitchensessions

Wednesday, 25 March 2020

Gyms might have closed their doors, but that doesn't mean people can't get active.

For the past week Healthy Tasmania have been hosting Facebook live sessions designed to get people thinking about ways to stay healthy while in self-isolation.

The initiative pre-empted the forced closures of gyms across the state. However, Healthy Tasmania managing director Lucy Byrne said now more than ever people needed to make their health a priority.

 "Our job for Healthy Tasmania and our company is to connect people to services to help them be the healthiest they can be," she said.

"The way we normally do that is out there in communities, in work places. Obviously in the current times we are not able to do it in the same way that we used to.

"We started this early on in the COVID-19 process, to really try and get people to think about how they can stay healthy and active at home. The idea bloomed from there."

Now in its second week Healthy Tasmania has hosted multiple guest speakers including City of Launceston mayor Albert van Zetten and mental health professional Caroline Thain.

On Monday dietitian Anna Terry, of My Kitchen Rules fame, joined the team for a saucepan-inspired workout.

She also used the opportunity to talk about ways to maintain a routine while working from hone, including healthy eating habits.

"My first recommendation is to try and to keep to what your usual routine is. Try and set out your day," she said.

"Another good one for when you are at home is to practice that mindful eating.

"A lot of people when they are at work, they eat because they have to.

"But if you are at home all day, you have that gift of time. You can really appreciate you food."

With many people in the community doing it tough at the moment, Ms Byrne said Healthy Tasmania just wanted to give something back.

"The following has been great. We have people getting ideas for elderly parents. We have nursing homes doing it. It's being played in the waiting rooms of hospitals," she said.

"There are so many businesses and industries that have been hard hit.

"Belts are going to be tightened everywhere and it's about us doing what we can, where we can, to support everyone.

"That's the balancing act we have to play as a community and as a state."

This article first appeared in The Examiner newspaper here