Get Active! Five Ideas for Staying Active Indoors

In the sudden age of social distancing and the necessity to stay indoors it can be difficult to stay motivated with your fitness routine. For many of us, at-home gym equipment is costly and unattainable, especially now that we can’t go outside to make purchases. However, health authorities suggest that in order to stay healthy and to continue building a strong immune system, it is important to maintain some form of light exercise throughout each week. It may take some creative brainstorming to figure out what light exercise means for you, however, in this article we provide a list of five simple ideas to get you started with your new fitness plan. 

1. Cleaning 

When stuck at home, the normally moderate mess of life can become daunting. Dishes seem to get dirty faster, dirty clothes never seem to fit into the hamper and can you believe those counters are messy again already? Believe it or not, cleaning your home can get your blood pumping just as easily as a few jumping jacks or weighted lunges. If you want a challenge – break up your cleaning with traditional exercises. Flip the laundry and do 10 sit-ups. Vacuum the living room and do 10 push-ups, and so on. Create a workout routine that flows with your life, not one that requires extra time out of your day. Part of living in quarantine is going with the flow and finding new and interesting ways to appreciate and enjoy your time. 

2. YouTube Fitness 

If cleaning and sweating isn’t quite your thing, try guided home workouts on YouTube! Whether you want to try aerobics, Zumba or learning a new dance move, YouTube has videos created by fitness and dance professionals around the world that can teach you everything you need to know, whether you’re working on a current skill or want to try something new. 

3. 30 Day Fitness App 

If you have a smartphone, you can build a great workout. The first step is finding the right app for you. Available on iOS including the iPad app, 30 Day Fitness provides workouts, fitness plans, and HD video exercise tutorials, along with a dynamic calendar system that allows you to plan ahead and check off your workouts as you complete them everyday. 30 Day Fitness is completely free, allowing users to meet their fitness goals and tailor their experience to what fits their lifestyle. If users love the app there is also an option to purchase a subscription, allowing you to take full advantage of the app and reach your personal goals. 

4. Start a Yoga Practice

If you haven’t tried yoga, you don’t know what you’re missing. All you need is the floor, yourself, and if you’re fancy, a yoga mat. Video tutorials can be found as far as the eye can see, on YouTube, through Yoga and Meditation apps and more. Yoga helps to center the mind, improve flexibility and tone muscles. Yoga can also be combined with aerobics and other more rapid movements to engage core strength and provide a great at-home cardio routine. 

5. Take Frequent Walks / HIIT Training

Last, but definitely not least – walking. Many of us are in quarantine, however going outside to enjoy fresh air and light cardio is still permitted in many areas. If you’re someone who is permitted to leave your home, please consider a nature walk to get in that extra cardio time. What is important is that we stay at least six feet away from others who are not in our households. However, if you live in an area that is completely locked down or you are immuno-compromised and need to stay indoors, outdoor cardio may not be possible. This is where HIIT training – high intensity interval training – comes in. What may not look like traditional cardio, actually provides great blood flow and a refreshing, quickened heart rate. Many HIIT workouts can be found online, however a great way to start is to do what you already know. Below, is a quick workout guide that you can use for your first at-home workout. This workout can be repeated 2-3 times to increase the length and intensity. 

10 Jumping Jacks 

10 lunging leg lifts 

10 squats 

15 second break

10 push ups 

10 sit ups

30 second plank

For more resources or if you have questions/comments, please do not hesitate to reach out to Contact Us!