You don’t need to give up your workouts just because the coronavirus has you spending more time at home. In fact, with fewer school or work functions, now is the perfect time to get fit. People who exercise regularly are less likely to get sick and more likely to recover faster if they do.
Read our tips on how to find the motivation to work out at home. Plus, we offer five ways to safely exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exercising at home: Motivation must-haves
Your schedule has probably shifted due to work-from-home requirements. Many people have suddenly become homeschooling parents. To save your sanity, map out your days. For example:
- Wake up and go to sleep at the same time each day
- Set meal times
- Dedicate work and homeschooling hours
After you prioritize these necessary tasks, find a block of time to set aside for a home workout, and add it to your daily schedule. You might find it’s helpful to add alarms to your calendar, so you don’t miss a workout. If you find it hard to exercise alone, find a friend and workout together on a video call.
Set up your home workout space
Ideally, some of your workouts can take place outside, so have your shoes ready and waiting. But on wet or rainy days — or if you’re working out at night — you’ll want to assemble a makeshift gym indoors. Before your first workout, get your space ready:
- Move furniture that might be in the way
- Gather weights (or items you can use as weights), so they are ready and waiting
- Collect other items you might need, such as a towel or a yoga mat
Avoid the gym and get fitness results at home
If you’re ready to get moving, try these five no-gym-required workouts:
Bodyweight workouts
You don’t need weights to do an at-home workout. Search for bodyweight workouts that use the weight of your body to help build lean muscle and decrease body fat. Examples of bodyweight exercises are pushups, burpees and pistol squats.
Yoga
Yoga routines are easy to do at home, with or without a mat. There are different yoga styles, but all feature breathing, stretching, movement and postures that build muscle using only body weight. If you’re feeling stressed during this pandemic, yoga offers a way to notice and reflect on your emotions. If you aren’t familiar with yoga poses, check out apps and video streaming sites.
Fitness videos and apps
Working out at home has never been easier, thanks to streaming services. Many online providers are offering free or reduced-fee classes to help people stay fit during isolation. A simple web search can bring up a plethora of workout videos and apps to help you find a routine. Search by time or style (cardio vs. weight training) to get results that make it easy and fun to workout at home.
Active-play video games
Also known as exergames or gamercise, you can enjoy active-play videogames alone or with other family members. If you have a gaming console, you likely already have access to technology-driven dance or sports workouts. For even more fun, use a virtual reality headset for an immersive exercise experience.
Go outside
Whenever possible, do your cardio outside if you can keep a healthy distance from others. Walking or running outdoors exposes you to sunshine, which increases the feel-good brain chemical called serotonin. Other benefits of outdoor workouts are:
- Longer workouts: People tend to spend more time exercising outdoors because it feels less like a chore.
- Greater challenge: An ever-changing terrain can be more challenging for your body and mind.
- More enjoyable: Many people find they enjoy outdoor workouts more because of fresh air and shifting scenery and are therefore more eager to get their workout in.
- Vitamin D exposure: The sunshine vitamin (vitamin D) may help boost your immunity.
If you need help staying active at home, visit UCLA Health Sports Performance. Our coaches offer live workouts and virtual one-to-one support to keep you fit and healthy.
