All over America, people are being encouraged to stay
home to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Businesses are closed to help
promote social distancing and people are suddenly working from home and
home-schooling their children. If you are finding this stressful, you are not
alone. Now, more than ever, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle of
exercise and a nutritious diet. Here are seven tips for bringing your workout home.
Take a Walk
If you’re working from home, you may
have noticed how much harder it is to meet your daily step goal. The CDC
recommends 150-minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes
per week of higher-intensity activity such as jogging. That’s just 30 minutes a
day, five days a week. Walking is an excellent stress-reliever and does not
require special equipment. You can walk alone or with the whole family, and
your four-legged friends will be happy to join you.
Ride a Bike
Now is a great time to dust off those bicycles hanging in the garage and put some air in the tires. Many communities have installed recreational trails ideal for exercising while social distancing. You may also find your neighborhood streets are quieter than usual at this time. Take advantage of this to put some miles on those tires, and, for a challenge, ride some hills. Make sure you wear a helmet!
Play Games
If you have children at home, this is an optimal time to engage in some family bonding activities and your children will benefit from the exercise, too. You can play games such as soccer, baseball, and basketball with minimal equipment. For younger children, games of tag are a great option that can really get your heart pumping. Kids love dance parties, too. If the weather keeps you indoors, crank up the music and dance.
Do Some Chores
That may not sound like the most
exciting way to burn calories, but depending on the intensity of the activity,
cleaning the house and tidying up the yard can really help get you in shape.
For a higher-intensity workout, rake leaves, wash cars, vacuum carpets, or
paint a room. Take out your stress on stubborn weeds. Even doing laundry burns
calories, especially if you have to walk up and down stairs to put it away.
Listen to music or a podcast to make it more fun.
Gym Class
Think back to your elementary gym class
days. Thank goodness you don’t have to climb that rope! You can use a lot of
what you learned to get a good workout at home. Jumping jacks, marching or
jogging in place, jumping rope, crunches, pushups, and planks are all good ways
to release some energy, build some cardiovascular health, and strengthen your
muscles.
Online Workouts or DVD’s
Many streaming services
include fitness videos on their platforms and several gyms across the country
are providing free workouts anyone can do at home and you don’t have to be a
member.
Beach Body: 14-day free trial to Beach Body on Demand
at https://www.beachbody.com
Gold’s Gym: Free premium access to their fitness app
and video workouts at https://www.goldsgym.com/anywhere/
Orange Theory: This popular high-interval training
company is uploading new videos to its YouTube page every day.
YMCA: YMCA 360, videos and workouts at https://www.ymca.net/your-y-at-home-staying-active
Yoga
Don’t forget about your flexibility! Yoga can
help you improve your posture, relieve aches and pains, and release stress. There
are literally millions of yoga instructors providing free videos on YouTube.
Yoga with Adriene is one of our personal favorites because she provides
excellent instruction for all levels of yoga practice. Whatever your yoga skill
level, you will be able to find a teacher online who is right for you.
Whether you do targeted workouts or burn calories
through work and play, make sure to eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated. Superberries
Aroniaberry products are an excellent addition to healthy meals. They help you
recover after exercise, support joint, cardiovascular and digestive health. They can brighten up smoothies
and muffins and complement the flavors of your savory dishes.
