How to Stay Active At Home

As of March 31st, the Governor of the State of Arizona, Douglas A. Ducey, instituted a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected” policy which limits each of us in our daily outings. This policy and lockdowns all over the world have been put into place to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. By staying home we can slow the spread of the virus and save many lives. But by staying home this doesn’t mean you can’t maintain your exercise routine. Exercising at home is crucial to maintain physical and mental health during these trying times. So what can we do?

Use What You’ve Got

No matter what type of exercise you would usually do at a gym or during practice, the same can be achieved at home with simple items you may have lying around the house. 

Looking for an aerobic exercise to get your heart rate going and burn calories? Use the stairs in your house instead of a step master. By walking briskly up and down you will get your heartbeat up in no time. Dance is another excellent aerobic exercise that is great for cardiovascular health. Just turn on your favorite music and start dancing! Try jogging in place while watching your favorite movie or series. And of course, should you have an old skipping rope lying around in the garage….this might be the perfect time to hunt it down. 

If instead, you are more interested in resistance exercises that help strengthen your muscles and improve your mobility, take a look in your pantry. Food items such as canned goods, bags of rice, and water bottles are great substitutes for dumbbells. There is no excuse for not keeping up that muscle mass. 

Online Exercise Classes

Whether you already have an exercise routine you want to maintain or you are looking for something new, the internet has it all. There are an abundance of free exercise videos online on YouTube and on apps, as well as paid for actual online classes to follow. If you have ever wanted to learn tai-chi, kung fu, pilates, salsa dancing, or do yoga, you might actually now have the time to follow a class online. Learning something new can help keep you motivated and excited while having to stay at home. And once we are again able to socialize, you will have a newfound talent to share with the world. 

Conference Call Workouts

Keeping connected with our families and friends is very important to us all right now but why limit these calls to just chatting? Why not workout together while talking? You get a little company and burn calories at the same time. There are so many apps right now that allow you to FaceTime more than one person at a time. By video calling 4 people or more simultaneously you could set up a team workout. Keep connected and working out together will also give you a chance to keep each other motivated and focused on your fitness goals. 

Staying at home is not always easy but right now it’s the right thing to do. All it takes is a little creativity and you’ll be in better shape than ever!

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