The worst thing you can do during COVID-19 is neglect your fitness routine. Not only will the extra weight you gain be bothersome but failing to keep your body moving and your lungs strong could leave you vulnerable to winter illnesses.
Coming back from a sickness when you’ve been laid out for days on end can leave you feeling weak and wimpy physically and less than clear and hopeful mentally.
While most of us are having to continue to social distance and public gyms remain closed, working out at home becomes vitally important to keep you in the best shape possible even if you’re fortunate enough to dodge the sickness bullet.
Just how effective is physical activity to your overall health? Well, according to the CDC, only about half of adults get the needed exercise to reduce and prevent chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. To reduce your risk, health experts advise getting at least three days of exercise each week or up to 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly.
Before the pandemic, it was likely much easier to build in workouts at your community gym. You followed a routine that kept you on track and you looked forward to mingling with others while pumping iron or exercising your heart. However, in the age of lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing, getting in workouts can be a challenge when you’re forced to exercise at home without a personal trainer, peers to encourage you and machines to challenge each of your muscle groups.
There are plenty of ways, however, to maintain a fitness routine at home. Here are some ideas to keep you active at home during COVID-19:
- If you have the space and funds allow, consider investing in a treadmill, incumbent bike or elliptical, each of which can provide great cardio exercise and give you the closest in-gym experience possible in the safety and privacy of your own home.
- Requiring just a small investment, simple devices like dumbbells and resistance bands can be purchased online and delivered to your home. Both can be used to strengthen your body and give you a good workout.
- No weights? No problem. Take advantage of your own bodyweight to target each muscle group for a total-body workout. Consider pushups, lunges and squats.
- Go for a brisk walk or a jog around your neighborhood to add cardio to your fitness routine.
- It’s much easier these days thanks to the pandemic to find workout guides online as many fitness gurus, gyms and smartphone apps are offering instruction videos for working out at home. There are programs to help you target all the muscle groups, from lower body to upper back and shoulders. And although some exercise programs require a subscription, many are free to view.
- YouTube and Instagram are chock-full of personal trainers eager to share their expertise for free. You can find great workout videos from yoga to Pilates, some that suggest basic equipment and others that require just your presence and willingness to work up a sweat.
- If you thrive on group exercise, you can still manage to work out with a few friends by going on a hike or a bike ride together. The fresh air will do you good!
Sticking to an at-home fitness routine can be a challenge, especially if you’re motivated by the energy of others in a public gym setting. But committing to working out during COVID-19 could be one of the best decisions you make for yourself. At Balance Fitness, we can help you devise a plan that works for you and suggest the right equipment to meet your needs.
