4 Fun Ways To Stay Fit Even If You Are Stuck At Home

If concerns over COVID-19 have you tempted to curl up on your couch and watch tv or read all day, you are not alone. However, regular exercise is great for reducing stress, supporting a healthy immune system, and boosting your mood — all important benefits right now!

 

How Much Exercise Should I Get Each Day?

Ideally, you should get at least 30 or more minutes of cardiovascular exercise for five days of the week and include strength training at least twice a week. Be careful to listen to your body and avoid overtraining or anything too strenuous (especially if you are a beginner or have not exercised in a while).

It is also important to limit prolonged sedentary periods. So even if you do find yourself in the middle of a tv binge, try to get up and march in place or do jumping jacks every time a commercial comes on. Simple steps like this go a long way to combat the time we spend sitting.

 

What Workouts Can I Do At Home?

Even if you do not have exercise equipment, live in an apartment, or have never worked out at home before, there are still a surprising number of options for staying fit.

Here are four of our favourite ways to stay fit at home:

 

1. Take Advantage of Free Online Streaming Options

Many companies are making a point to offer free streaming services right now to allow people to stay fit at home. There are a wide variety of options, but here is one of our favourite lists of all the free workouts available online right now.

 

 

2. Try Housewalking

Housewalking is just what it sounds like — making a point to get as many steps in as possible throughout your house during the day. If you happen to have a pedometer, you can track your steps and try to beat the amount you took the day before.

If you are on the phone, walk back and forth, up and down the hall, or across the room. During your favourite tv shows, march in place. All these extra steps will add up!

 

3. Get Outside

If possible, nothing beats exercising outside! Along with the benefits of fresh air and nature, exposure to sunlight can boost your Vitamin D levels.

Running, hiking, walking, and biking are all great ways to get your heart rate up (just be sure to practice proper social distancing).

 

4. Exercise With Your Kids

Don’t forget to involve your kids! Exercise is just as crucial for their mental and physical health as it is for yours and it’s a great way to have fun together and bond.

If you have a yard to play in, try playing tag, hopscotch, jumping rope, or making an obstacle course to do together. Inside, crank up your favourite tunes and have a dance party, build an indoor obstacle course, or take turns leading each other through yoga poses.

 

Simple Full-Body Sample Workout

Here is a sample workout — along with tips for completing each exercise — you can do with minimal space and equipment.

Perform each exercise 10 to 12 times before moving on to the next one. Complete one to three rounds of all the moves with 30 seconds of cardio (jumping jacks, high knees, or marching in place) in between each round.

• Squats – If you want to make squats even more challenging, hold a weight in each hand.
• Reverse Lunges – If you are a beginner or have knee issues, lower your knee only one-fourth of the way down. Be sure to listen to your body and avoid any movement that causes pain.
• Pushups – Be sure to keep your core engaged. If needed, start with kneeling pushups and move on to your toes once you gain strength.
• One-arm Rows – If you do not own a set of dumbells, try (carefully) using canned goods, a laundry detergent bottle, a milk carton, or water bottles.
• Bicep Curls – Keep your abs tight and elbows close to your sides.
• Tricep Dips – In addition to this routine, tricep dips are also a perfect move for doing during commercial breaks!
• Planks – Few moves beat planks when it comes to building core strength. Hold the position for 30 seconds or as long as possible. Be sure to maintain proper form.

 

Final Thoughts

Staying active is one of the best things you can do for yourself right now. We hope these tips and ideas will help keep you healthy, fit, and happy during this time and after.

For more inspiration on staying fit, healthy recipe ideas, and more, check out the rest of our blog posts.

— By Brad Russell, Owner of IsaTonic & Nutritional Cleanse