Olga Hays, an American Council on Exercise-certified wellness promotion specialist at Sharp HealthCare, shares five ways to stay physically active while at home:
- Stick with your strength-training routine using online videos or fitness apps. YouTube, for example, offers hundreds of free videos ranging in difficulty, length and body focus. You will most likely need to invest in some basic fitness equipment, such as a set of dumbbells, resistance bands, a mat and a medicine ball. But you don’t necessarily need fitness equipment to throw in an extra challenge to your routine. There are plenty of great body weight exercises you can try. You can also get creative and use household items — water bottles, bags of rice and laundry detergent bottles — instead of dumbbells to get fit at home.
- Try at-home yoga. Just like with strength-training, there are plenty of online yoga videos to keep your body and mind strong.
- Pick up hiking, walking or running. If you have a fitness device that tracks steps, you can step it up a notch by starting a walking or running challenge with your friends and family for additional motivation and encouragement.
- Learn new dance moves with the entire family.
- Start using that elliptical trainer, rowing machine or treadmill that has been collecting dust in the garage.
Exercising at least 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week, and taking micro breaks and stretch breaks every 60 minutes, provide the following benefits:
- Reduced risk of developing a life-threatening disease
- Feeling less pain and discomfort
- Improved posture
- Improved sleep
- Reduced risk of falls and injuries
- A greater likelihood of maintaining or reaching a healthy weight
