The Challenge of Staying Active at Home while Social Distancing
Due to the COVID-19, daily routines have been interrupted as we shelter in place. However, while sheltering in place it’s still imperative to stay physically active. Because physical activity is so vital for overall health and wellbeing, it must be made a priority. Therefore, take care by ensuring physical activity is scheduled into your daily routines.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise weekly.
Visit the CDC online for more information @:
Risks of Sitting
Watch this brief TEDEd video about “The Hidden Risk of Sitting.” Murat Dalkilinç explains “Why sitting is bad for you.”
Get Moving
Visit the “Move it Monday! Time to Move!” website.
The “Move It Monday” website encourages people to start the beginning of the week with exercise. The site offers workouts, weekly tips, and inspiration to assist with scheduling activity into the week. It was designed for informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare provider prior to performing any new exercise routine or program.
See all they have to offer @ Move it Monday!
Indoor and Outdoor Suggestions for Staying Active at Home
Indoor Physical Activity:
- Strength
- Cardio
- Yoga
There are many different strength training, cardio, and yoga exercises, positions, and variations to choose from, therefore choose the one that works best for you. Create a workout plan!
The CDC recommends combining strength with cardio activity to improve overall health
You can still reap the benefits using your own body weight should you not have strength training equipment at home.
Outdoor Physical Activity:
- Walking / Hiking
- Jogging
- Biking
Reminder: When performing outside physical activity remember social distancing – stay 6 feet away from other people!
Strength
Body weight exercise: Lunges, Squats, Squats to Overhead Press, Pushups, Planks…
The following websites provide instructions for performing these exercises:
Improvise if having no equipment at home. Use 1-Gallon Jugs, Water Bottles, Canned Goods, etc. Be Creative!
Cardio
Popular cardio exercises: High Knees; Butt Kicks, Jumping Jacks, Toe Taps, Standing Alternating Toe Touches, Inch Worm Crawl, Mountain Climbers…
The following websites provide instructions for performing these exercises:
Use a Deck of Cards
Shuffle the deck and place the deck in a convenient location.
After warming up, flip the first card and do the exercise that corresponds with the suit.
Every suit represents a different exercise and the card value equals the number of repetitions.
Go through the entire deck or until you’ve reached the selected time planned for your workout.
Move through the exercises as quickly as you can without sacrificing form. Try to rest as little as possible between each card to keep your heart rate up. Rest, of course, if needed.
Switch up the exercises based on your needs or fitness level.
Yoga Sun Salutation
An excellent warm up exercise to start your morning especially if stiff upon waking.
A sequence of 12 positions that move the spine in various ways and promotes flexibility in the limbs; and, helps maintain stability.
Great for beginners at learning the 12 basic positions.
Works body, regulates the breath and focuses the mind.
Move on to more advanced positions/variations once these 12 positions have been mastered.
Yoga Website Links
Caveat
First and foremost – Always consult a healthcare provider prior to beginning any new exercise routine or program.
Just beginning? Then remember to – “Start Slow,” “Take Breaks,” and “Rest” when needed. “Don’t Push It” to avoid injury.
Remember to always “Warm Up,” “Cool Down,” and “Hydrate”!
