With self-isolation guidelines in place and socially distancing measures like working from home taking over our lives it is important to find way to stay active at home – after all, you can’t let all your hard work go to waste! We know that the idea of staying at home for a long period of time can seem overwhelming and a little scary, especially if you’re someone who lives for the gym.
Rather than letting the isolation get the better of you try and embrace it and see it as an opportunity to get your sweat on with new, at-home workouts you’ve never tried before, incorporate healthier habits into your daily routine and mix things up a little.
Whether staying active looks like yoga in the living room, running up the stairs or having a go at weighted arm exercises with tins from your cupboard, there are plenty of ways to keep moving even when you can’t get outside.
1. Stick to an active routine.
While you may not be able to stick to your normal routine you can easily create a new routine at home which includes alternative ways to keep active. Make sure you’re getting up at the same time every day, doing a workout first thing, taking a shower and enjoying a protein packed breakfast.
2. Get your stretch on.
Moderate stretching can help you avoid stiff joints and maintain good blood circulation so whether you’re stretching on your bedroom floor when you wake up or actually setting aside half an hour or so every day to do a full body stretch (maybe even try a little yoga) make sure you fit it in somewhere.
3. Try an at home workout.
There are multitudes of videos available online, just jump over to YouTube and have a quick search. The best bit is, you don’t have to do the same one twice there are that many to choose from (and it’s FREE!).
After all, physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Practice your lifts.
The concept of making makeshift weights at home can seem daunting, but strength training doesn’t have to mean throwing heavy weights around the gym. One super easy exercise that you can do while sat on the sofa is to lay a pair of oven gloves (you know, the long ones with two hand sections) over your shins. Place a tin in each hand section then start gently lifting your legs up and down. It may feel silly and probably nothing compared to what you’re used to squatting at the gym, but it’s important to maintain leg strength with your steps likely decreasing and a lot of reps of these is better than no reps of anything.
If you don’t have dumbbells at home then grab a couple of the large 5L bottles of water and with your arms outstretched, lift your hands to shoulder height, then return your arms to by your sides and repeat.
5. Try a bodyweight workout.
If the idea of lifting tin cans, flour bags and water bottles doesn’t appeal to you, then it’s time to try a few bodyweight workouts. Practice your planks, improve you personal best for number of sit ups in one minute. There are so many options once you start thinking about it.
You may need to do a few more reps than you are used to to get the same burn when working out from home.
6. Practice basic circulation principles.
Focusing on making sure you’re promoting basic circulation to make sure that you don’t get stiff is even more important than improving your muscle gains. Make sure you’re getting up from your chair at least every 30 minutes, its all too easy to get lost in a Netflix binge and stay glued to your sofa when it seems like there’s nothing better to do.
7. Make use of the stairs.
Take ten to fifteen minutes in the morning, at lunch and in the evening to see how many flights you can get in, it’s a great way to get your heart rate up and squeeze in some cardio without having to go outside or invest in a treadmill. Keep track of your progress and just watch those numbers go up.
8. Stay in touch.
Keeping in regular phone contact with friends and family will make all the difference to your time in isolation. Check in on clients, co-workers and employees too, this is a tough time for everyone and not only will it keep everyone connected, but will help you not to feel as if you’re losing touch with the outside world.
9. Keep your mind active.
It’s not all about getting a sweat on, your mental health needs to be cared for too. Watching quiz shows, doing a puzzle, cracking out some crosswords or Sudoku are all great ways to keep your mind flexed.
The most important thing you do for your health however is to stay at home. Get your meals delivered [link to order page] to your door and pack your day with nutrients to help support your immune system, don’t let your nutrition slip. It may not be the ideal situation but look at the positives, find things to be grateful for every day and use this as an opportunity to assess your own health, modify your goals and make a plan for the future.
Stay healthy. Stay safe.
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