It has been eight months since the COVID-19 pandemic made our lives sedentary and locked inside the four walls of our house. Our daily routine consists of working, studying, or spending time on social media, from our homes either on the sofa, or study table, or bed. We are barely using our energy on activities like stretching, walking, or exercising. The lack of motivation to move from our TV screens or the limited access to fitness facilities, missing out on the spirit of the gym, the enjoyment of swimming laps, the mental peace of yoga or the social interaction with a group of friends from walking or hiking can make it hard for us to do exercises during the pandemic. Exercising during a pandemic may seem boring and a struggle, but it is important to do so to stay active, avoid mental health problems (stress, anxiety, depression), boost our immunity, and not gain weight due to overeating(seen increasingly during a pandemic). Even doing little exercises during a pandemic at home can make a huge difference in how you feel.
Here are some of the exercises during the pandemic to do when distancing yourself from society.
- If you do a series of these exercises, then take a break for 10 minutes at a time,” 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, “she says,” You’re going to be sweating, and you’re going to feel it all over your body.
- Try doing fifteen air squats, twenty lateral bounds, and a bear crawling five times to one side, then five times to the other, repeating the seven-minute series.
- Alternating reverse lunges, squat jumps, elbow planks when reaching out with each arm, and keeping a bear crawl position for 20 seconds each followed by 10 seconds of rest per workout, try doing the following four times.
- A wall sitting, a wall sitting with reach, a hollow body hold, and a Superman position for 30 seconds each, followed by 30 seconds of rest after all of them, try to do the following four times.
Watch Youtube Workouts:
Youtube offers a wide variety of fitness and training workout channels where you can find your exercise routine according to your preferences
- Dance workouts: The Fitness Marshall
- HIIT workouts: PopSugar Fitness
- Pilates workouts and more: Blogilates
- Yoga workouts: Yoga With Adriene
- Strength training workouts: HASfit
- 5-minute workouts: FitnessBlender
- Boxing workouts: NateBowerFitness
- Low-impact workouts: Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home
- Roberta’s Gym
- Cardio workouts: Les Mills
- Planet Fitness
Fitness apps
There are a number of free apps that feature a variety of workouts:
- MAP MY RUN
- FITNESS BUDDY
- JEFIT Workout Planner
- RUNTASTIC
- ASANA REBEL: YOGA AND FITNESS
- MY VIRTUAL MISSION
- COUCH TO 5K RUNNER
- DAILY WORKOUTS FITNESS TRAINER
- MY FITNESS PAL
Try doing the minimal exercises
Exercises during the pandemic do not have to be hardcore cardio, yoga, or Crossfit training. Doing minimal exercises can also help one to stay fit, energetic, and fresh.
- Only remember to wear a mask and/or maintain a healthy distance from others. Take a stroll, jog, or ride a bike outside.
- Try video games or ‘exergames’ sports that mimic dancing, skateboarding, soccer, bowling, or tennis.
- As you pass, note the scent of the air, the variety of flowers and trees, and the feeling of the sun or wind. Bringing these things to your attention can give your conscious mind a break from your concerns and unleash your creativity. When you weren’t even aware you were working on them, you might find fresh ideas and solutions coming to you.
- If you think you need to up the pace of your walks, look for hills, do some step-ups on the curb at each intersection, skip, or even hop up and down the curb a few times (if necessary for your fitness level and joints).
- Often wanted to try barre exercise, line dance, aerobic funk, or HIIT (high-intensity interval training)Try boxing, Pilates, or yoga. Do not be intimidated to try something new and refine your search online to be more specific to your needs, such as ‘yoga for over 50′,’ golf-specific exercises’, or ‘basic beginners’ pilates. During the pandemic, there are many new, and mostly free, classes being posted daily to assist individuals in their health pursuits.
- Play catch or tag, go for a bike ride, shoot hoops, or move the soccer ball with your kids. Taking the focus away from schoolwork or chores and playing together can even help repair a strained relationship.
- Try using resistance bands, water bottles, or your own bodyweight to perform resistance exercises. You could start with push-ups against the wall, then move on to the kitchen counter, the coffee table, and finally the floor to do them. Does your house have stairs? An effective strength training activity is stair climbing.
Motivate yourself to do more:
- People who place their exercise events on the same calendar prefer to adhere to their schedule as their daily appointments.
- In the morning, completing your workout routine will energize you and set an optimistic tone for the remainder of the day. Others find it helpful when their energy is flagging to take a break from work and get moving in the afternoon. The brain can be activated by a burst of action which can help you get through the rest of the tasks on your to-do list.
- To keep a record of your progress so you can feel satisfied, try one of the many fitness trackers or mobile apps available.
- Tell a friend on social media what your goals and habits are or write about it. If you know your friends will be asking about how you got on, you’re less likely to skip a session. And it will give you a boost for your next session if they give you positive feedback.
- Working out with a friend can help keep you on track, too. Try a workout for couples or a family workout like Zumba together.
