Home Exercises to Keep You Moving

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It’s totally understandable if you don’t want to be going to the gym right now. For me, I really struggled to keep active and sane during this pandemic. Home workouts may not be the same as my gym workouts, but at least it gives me a way to destress to take my mind off of things. Here are some suggestions on what exercises you can do at home or while social distancing!

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are a great way to train if you are wanting resistance training at home. Although they are much lighter than what you could do at the gym, you can increase your repetitions or sets to raise the difficulty of the exercise. So instead of your normal 8-10 reps, increase it to 20-30 reps. You can do sets of 4 or 5 depending on how easy it is for you. You can buy them at Walmart or Amazon. They come in different strengths so you can use the band that works best for you. 

Interval Training

Interval training is a great workout if you like a sweaty cardio session and want a quick workout. Interval training breaks down your workout into alternating periods of high-intensity activity and rest periods.  It can be used with bodyweight exercises or break down a run. One easy way to make your own interval workout is to pick five to six different bodyweight exercises like lunges or squats and do as many reps with good form for 30 seconds. Then, rest completely for 30 seconds. Complete the circuit three to four times. Other options are cycling, stair climbing, or sprinting. Instead of resting completely, active rest by walking or cycling slower.  

Free Weights

Invest in some dumbells, medicine balls, or kettlebells to amp your bodyweight exercises. They can add variety and increase the intensity while working on increasing your strength. Personally, I prefer to use dumbells or kettlebells because they are a little more versatile from using them for rows to squats.

Walking

Did you know that walking and running burn the same amount of calories? Just walking can be beneficial to your health! Take an evening walk in your neighborhood or park after dinner for a few laps and get your steps in. 

Outdoor Activities

Since the weather is starting to cool down, there are many places to visit if you want some fresh air. The 2020 Oklahoma State Parks & Outdoor Guide is a great resource to see all the nature that Oklahoma offers. In the guide, it suggests great places to go hiking, water activities, climbing spots, and other outdoor activities. You can also go on bike rides. Lake Draper, Lake Hefner, and along the river has great trails that you can bike.

Workout Apps or Youtube Workouts

There are plenty of virtual workouts.  They are great if you don’t want to plan your workout and need the motivation to keep going. They range from Yoga to HIIT training. Here are some of my favorite apps and Youtube channels I like to use. 

  • Nike Training:
    • Nike Training has a variety of workouts to choose from. You can choose the difficulty level, but also the specificity of the workout such as a core workout. There are workouts that focus on improving your mobility to a simple 20 minute bodyweight HIIT workout. 
  •  Blogilates:
    • Most of Cassey’s workouts are pilates based. She has a variety of different videos that either focuses on a specific body part or total body workouts. They range from a quick 10 minute or to a whole 30. What I like about Cassey is that she is positive and enthusiastic while being a great teacher showing you the proper technique.
  • Zumba:
    •  If you aren’t familiar with Zumba, it’s a dance-based workout that gets your blood pumping. There are so many fun Zumba workouts on Youtube. Just search your favorite song at the moment and you will most likely find a Zumba workout to it.
  • Sworkit
    • If you like customization and variety, Sworkit may be for you! They offer programs for yoga, cardio, strength, and stretching. You can choose how long you want your workout to be and add or delete movements to your needs. There are clear videos to show how to do the exercise to guide you through the workout.

Home workouts may not be the same as gym workouts, but you can adapt them to fit your needs. It may be difficult in the beginning, but start off with small achievable goals to help you get to where you want to be! That can be walking every day for 30 minutes or doing 2 strengthening workouts per week. If you struggle to keep motivated, have a workout buddy that can keep you accountable. Exercising is a lot more fun when you have someone by your side struggling with you. 🙂

Always remember to have warm up before your workout and cool down after to prevent possible injuries! AN