We’re all going through some very trying times right now. Most of us have been thrust away from the comfort of our daily routines and pushed into a scary reality where uncertainty and chaos seem to reign every day.
Social distancing, while necessary, certainly makes it difficult to find comfort in physical activity. How can we go to the gym when all of the gyms are closing down? How can we enjoy yoga classes when all of them have been canceled? What about those long, relaxing walks in the nature that we’re used to?
For now, all of those things are out of the question. Does this mean we’re doomed to sit around all day, slowly becoming fat and unhealthy?
Heck no.
Now’s the perfect time to get fit. Not only will it boost your immune system and keep you strong and resilient, but it will also help you deal with stress.
We’re gonna show you how to stay active.
Table of Contents
1. Make full use of online classes
There aren’t many good things about a world-wide pandemic, but one of them is our ability to help each other out in times of need. Now that everyone is stuck at home, a lot of fitness studios have decided to make their workout classes free during the corona outbreak. Instead of being left stranded to figure out a whole workout on your own, now you can watch a bunch of streams from fitness experts and learn new exercises.
You can also check out YouTube channels such as Yoga with Adriene or Melissa West’s channel if you’re interested in at-home yoga classes. Both of these youtubers make easy-to-follow videos for people who want to work out from home and most of their content is well-suited for beginners.
2. Create your own little workout ritual
The moment we start growing strong and healthy from exercise is the moment we stop seeing it as a chore that has to be done. The best way to stop seeing workouts as a boring chore is to create a little self-care ritual related to it.
Instead of just getting up to do your workout as you grumble and complain about how much your muscles ache, turn it into an experience you can slowly learn how to enjoy.
Begin by picking out great music. An upbeat playlist will put you in a good mood and make your body want to move. Then, pick out a nice outfit – there is no need to exercise in old garments that make you feel all grimy and unattractive. Some colorful sweatpants or yoga pants and a pair of trendy Nike sneakers can go a long way to making you more enthusiastic. After all, if you look good, you’ll feel good. Especially because you’ll know that exercising will only sculpt your body further.
Make sure to also introduce a post-workout reward to motivate yourself further. Anything from a delicious healthy meal to an episode of your favorite TV show are good ways to reward yourself.
3. Pick an easy workout
Do you know what the very best workout in the world is? Then one that you’re going to do. One of the best ways to stay active is to pick a simple workout that you’ll be able to do every day, regardless of how tired or stressed you are.
You can find free home workouts on Darebee’s website, and you can filter them to find the ones that require no equipment and that are set to easy difficulty. And before you start worrying that the easiest workouts won’t be challenging enough to make you fit, ask yourself – where would you be now if you had started doing five-minute workouts every day, three months ago?
Now that we’re all stuck inside our homes, workouts are the best way to stay sane, regardless of how easy or tough they are.
4. Work out with friends
No, you shouldn’t go to your friend’s house and exercise. However, calling them over Zoom and working out at the same time is a great idea. It’s a good way to stay close to someone in the time when social distancing is the only way to stay safe. Besides, friends will help you stay accountable and inspire you to stick to your workouts. You can also exchange tips and workout resources.
5. Clean your house
Keeping our surroundings clean is particularly important during a pandemic. Not only will you be practicing good hygiene, you’ll also ease the mental strain of being stuck inside. Having a clean house will boost your mood and it will actually burn off some calories as well – for example, scrubbing floors can burn around 4 calories per minute. It’s not much, but it’s something, and it will contribute to your overall wellbeing and motivation.
Remember, stress is the immune system killer. Exercising is the best way to release all that tension and keep your body strong and healthy.
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