Staying in our homes during the pandemic can be boring and unproductive. According to the Mayo Clinic, the normal adult should have moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day. If not met, we risk developing health issues like heart diseases and gaining excess weight. So even when we are advised to keep ourselves safe while stuck in our homes, it is up to us to find activities that will keep our minds and bodies occupied.
As we know, there are many ways to sweat and exercise. We don’t have to go to the gym and lift heavy weights to keep ourselves fit. We don’t even need a specific exercise regimen to be healthy. We just have to find the kind of exercise that fits our goals and stick to them. But exercise should be limited or avoided for reasons like when you are already exhausted, you have a fever, you have an injury or feeling body pains, or you recently had any kind of medical or reconstructive jaw surgery.
Working out with YouTube videos
The internet made almost everything accessible with just a tap or a click. With the need to stay at home, many people rely on social media sites to alleviate their boredom. But platforms like YouTube have many fitness contents that may benefit you and your need to keep moving. A quick search will show you various routines that you can follow along while inside your home.
From yoga stretching to resistance training, you will find specific exercises for targeting certain body parts, workouts for those who don’t have gym equipment, and long-term body training that can make exercising more fun and challenging.
Dancing
You can also find many dance routines on YouTube. Some videos are made specifically to keep you sweating like aerobic and Zumba dance classes. You can try learning a different kind of dance that you’ve never tried before like a Korean pop dance routine, pole dancing (a pole is obviously needed), or ballroom dancing if you have a companion (but you can also dance by yourself).
But if you already have the moves or just want to dance like no one’s watching, you can certainly shut all windows, close the curtains, blast music inside your home, and dance to your heart’s content. No matter how good or bad your dancing is, we won’t judge. Just try to get all body parts moving to make the most of the activity.
Walking, jogging, or biking around your neighborhood
If your town is not under a strict lockdown, you can always go outside to soak up the sun, breathe in some fresh air and walk, jog, or bike around the neighborhood. This can give you a needed change of scenery from the usual walls of your home. You can bring some friends and family with you. Your pets who also need the exercise will benefit from this too.
If you really want to sweat and get your heart rate up, consider going up and down a hill or sloped roads. Remember to maintain distance from other people for everyone’s safety.
Doing chores around your house
Instead of sitting all day, which poses many health risks, you should stand up and do some house cleaning. Doing your household chores qualify as moderate exercise. You can repair broken things in your property, prepare your garden for the coming season, vacuum inside the house, your list of chores will never end if you don’t start doing them. Not only will you be working out your body, but you will also be keeping your environment free from harmful pollutants and health hazards.
Playing sports and games with family
Probably the easiest way to keep us moving is by playing games and sports with our family. It can be a great bonding time that will encourage everyone to participate and have fun. Ball games like volleyball and soccer can help in team building. Frisbee and jump rope will only require the disk and the rope to have a fun time.
For younger children, games like tag, hopscotch, and hide-and-seek will get everyone laughing and running around. Swimming can also be a good full-body workout for the entire family, provided that children are always accompanied by adults.
Exercising will not only help our bodies to fight diseases but also help our minds to recover from all our stresses and worries. Keeping ourselves active also doesn’t have to be tiresome. It can be fun and interactive especially when we get our families and friends moving with us. Let us continue taking care of our well-being as we all await the end of this global crisis.
