If you're located in an area where the corona pandemic has you quarantined inside, or all the gyms in your area are closed, you CAN maintain your fitness at home.
Here are some tips and strategies to stay fit & active at home:
Take advantage of free online workout videos
YouTube anyone?
You can search for whatever kind of at-home workout you want to try, and you’re bound to find tons of options. Sure, some of them ya might get 2 minutes into and it’s terrible, but if that happens, pick a different video! Don’t let one crap video be your excuse to quit!
Instagram is another great place to look for ideas & workout inspo. I’ve been putting up at-home bodyweight workout videos that will totally fill the void you may be feeling from not being able to get the gym. So if you haven’t yet, feel free to check them out & give them a try! ( @kenz_fitnutrist ).
Walk whenever you can
Walking is so underrated.
If you’re able to get outside, DO IT. There’s a lot of people right now that are literally not able to leave their homes. So do it because you CAN.
Start your day in a great headspace by going for a peaceful morning walk, get outside for a walk during your lunch hour to break up your day, or cap off your night with an evening stroll. Get those steps in! If you aren’t able to be outside, try to get your steps in by walking your hallways if you live in an apartment complex, or if you have stairs, ya got yourself a stair master! Get creative. You can make all the excuses, but as long as you have two legs that allow for it, you can ALWAYS find ways to get your exercise in simply from walking.
Get some basic workout equipment
Highly recommended for ANY time, not just at the time of a pandemic.
I ALWAYS keep basic fitness gear in a bin at my apartment. I curated a page on my Amazon storefront, “At-Home Workout Equipment Essentials” of budget-friendly, space-saver workout equipment that I keep in my apartment. You truly don’t NEED a gym to get an effective workout. All you need is some basic equipment and a plan!
Buy some workout DVD’s
Search online for a program that has what you’re looking for. If you want something that’s under 30 minutes and mostly cardio and bodyweight, there’s a DVD for that. Or if you're on the hunt for a progressive yoga program, there's a DVD for that. You get the point.
Investing in & starting a program can motivate you to keep going and prevent you from getting sucked in by all the negativity that’s been happening lately. Plus, when we spend money on something like this, we’re much more inclined to actually stick to it!
Create a daily bodyweight-exercise challenge
Anything to get you moving…burpees, push-ups, planks, squats, jumping jacks, lunges, etc. You can do something like this at ANY fitness level.
Your challenge could look this:
30 squats
30 jumping jacks
30 push-ups from knees
30 second plank hold
...and as it becomes easier & less of a challenge, increase the rep count or challenge yourself with more advanced exercises, such as full push-ups, burpees, jump squats, etc.
A more advanced challenge could look like:
100 push-ups
100 jump squats
50 burpees
1 minute plank hold
You don’t have to do it all at once. You might even like the idea of getting 5, 10, or 20 reps of everything checked off on the hour, every hour until you reach your goal.
Whatever your challenge is, write it down, make it a nonnegotiable, & do it every day!
I hope these tips help you stay active at home & that you can share them with friends, family, etc. and keep each other accountable AND healthy!
xo Mackenzie.