As the Covid-19 pandemic continues and lockdowns don’t seem to be ending any time soon its important that we continue to look after ourselves physically and mentally. After almost a year of experiencing the “new way of living” some of us are getting a bit tired of our original routine when it comes to looking after our physical and mental health and some of us are trying to find inspiration to start our journey of self-care. You may find that you have tried things in the past to ignite your motivation but somehow it doesn’t become a routine. This may be because you haven’t found the right routine for you. I’ve gathered some ideas on how to stay healthy and active during lockdown and hopefully they will provide some inspiration for those of us yet to find our ideal routine and those of us who are looking for some change and new ideas.
Get moving 🏃
The best way to start your fitness journey is simply to move more. This can be as simple as increasing your daily step count by going on a walk each day or walking up and down the stairs in your house or apartment a few times. There are a variety of fitness tracking devices that will count you steps daily, and this is a good way of motivating yourself because you can set goals. If you don’t feel comfortable buying a fitness tracking device most smartphones track your steps and there is also a variety of free apps that can track them.
It may be hard to get out for a walk each day especially if the weather is not cooperating but there are other ways to get moving that you can do anywhere in your house or apartment. All you need is a little bit of space. The best way to get your heart rate up and sweat going is to dance. You can throw a little dance party for yourself and whoever you live with by simply putting on your favourite music and freestyling. Another option is dance workouts on YouTube. These can be accessed for free and all you need is a device to access them on and a stable internet connection. For people who have gaming consoles you could purchase the Just Dance game. This is a great activity to get more people involved and enjoy some healthy competition because it tracks your scores for each dance. These can also be accessed for free on YouTube however it won’t be able to track your scores, but it gives choreographed moves for everyone to easily follow.
Another way to get your heart beating and blood flowing other than walk or running is taking up skipping. Skipping is known to burn more calories than walking or running and doesn't require an investment in equipment. It doesn't require a big time commitment either. You can start with a couple of minutes to get you breathing harder and work up towards a longer time goal. There is also different variations of skipping footwork which you could try and introduce and master to give yourself a challenge.
Structured Workouts 🏋️
If you are looking for a more structured workout style, there are many ways to bring the gym to your home. The Nike Training Club app is free to download with no in app purchases necessary. You can great workout plans tailored to what you are looking for. It has all difficulty levels so regular gym goes and beginners can create great tailored plans and it can also be tailored to the equipment you have available or just body weight exercises. If you’re not interested in committing to a plan you can still complete workouts targeted at different muscle groups or you can do yoga or stretching. There is also a never-ending supply or online workout videos that you can follow on YouTube. Some of my favourites include Chloe Ting, Pamela Reif, and The Body Coach TV.
You may want to use some equipment in your home workouts and if you do there are several shops both physical and online who sell weights and other gym equipment at a fair price if weighted workouts are what you desire. If you don’t want to invest in weights, resistance bands are a great alternative and can be stored easily so your workout space doesn’t get cluttered.
Exercises for your Mental Health ☮️
It just as important for everyone to take care of their mental health as much as their physical health. While physical exercises are proven to help with our mental health, I’ve included some suggestions of ways off focusing on mental health if people find they don’t get enough benefits from just physical activity. Breathing exercises and taking some time out of our day to focus on our breathing, especially in the morning can help start the day with a calm and controlled feeling despite the circumstances we find ourselves in currently. Anyone can do this at any time of the day with no equipment necessary.
Meditation is always a great way of relieving stress and calming anxiety. There are meditation apps such as Calm or there are YouTube videos and Podcasts that will talk you through guided meditation.
Yoga and stretching routines are great ways of partnering the physical activity with the mental relaxation if you find you don’t have time to work on both separately. The Nike Training Club app has free yoga and stretching exercises, or you could follow guided videos on YouTube.
I hope everyone finds their ideal self-care routine and wish everyone luck with their lockdown experience. Just remember that it’s ok if you can’t develop a routine but you should never stop trying. I encourage everyone who has found a routine or for those who are still searching to try and continue these habits once we all wake from the nightmare of Covid-19!
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