The prospect of staying at home for any prolonged period of time can seem overwhelming and a little scary, especially if you’re someone who enjoys keeping fit and active and hitting that daily step count.
But as the COVID 19 crisis has made anything but walking or running - at a considerable distance from others - the only real way to stay active outdoors it may be time to give more thought to the idea of maintaining your fitness levels - and your mental agility - at home.
Here are just a few helpful tips and suggestions to get you started.
Keep up an ordered, active routine
While you may not be able to stick to your normal routine—you know, of leaving the house, commuting to the office and hitting the gym, you can create a new routine at home which includes alternative ways to keep active. As tempting as it may be to work in your sweats - or even your pajamas - in the long run this is will have a detrimental effect on your overall mood.
Instead, resolve to get up at the same time every day, doing a workout first thing (more on this to come), take a shower and eat breakfast, and dress in at least casual smart clothing - the suits and formal dress may be a bit too much for home.
Many studies - mainly involving those who work from home on a full-time basis - have shown that maintaining this kind of routine offers positive physical and mental health benefits.
Consider Taking Up Yoga
Just 30 minutes of simple yoga daily can have significant benefits, so if you have never tried yoga or meditation before now is a great time to get started.
Why yoga? Studies show that regularly practicing yoga can help improve heart health and reduce risk factors for heart disease. Plus, we all need a little zen at the moment.
There are lots of yoga apps and videos you can make use of to get started. Here is a great list of some of the most popular yogis on YouTube that all offer their workouts free.
Try an at home workout
Dig out your old workout DVDs or, if you don’t have any DVDs, try one of the many at-home workouts on YouTube. One that is very popular right now is being offered by a YouTube and Instagram star, British fitness expert Joe Wicks.
His daily workouts are currently specifically tailored for those around the globe who are self-isolating - he's streaming them from his own living room - and any money his YouTube channel makes is being donated to UK medical health professionals and to global scientific efforts to combat the virus, so you can work out and help out at the same time.
Wondering how to watch and work out at the same time? If you have a mobile phone connected to WiFi, you can stream the workout video on there, although you’ll have a much better view if you load the workout on a computer.
Practice basic circulation principles
While thinking about moving more at home often takes the form of yoga and HIIT workouts, focusing on making sure you’re promoting basic circulation is even more important.
Make sure you’re getting up from your chair at least every 30 minutes. Plus, flexing and rotating the lower leg while you’re sitting is excellent for maintaining blood circulation.
Keep an eye on the time and take a stroll around your room every 30 minutes. Plus, when you are sitting, practice flexing and rotating your ankles and lower leg for improved circulation.
Learn to meditate
In times of anxiety, it can be useful to practice breathwork or meditation to help manage your state of mind. If you’re not sure what breathwork or meditation really are, it’s the practice of training the mind to a state of mental clarity that studies have found helps you deal with stress, alongside reducing levels of depression and anxiety.
Headspace, the world’s biggest paid meditation platform, announced that it has unlocked a free, specially-curated "Weathering the storm" collection of meditation and mindfulness content for all consumers globally on their app. You can find out more about this offer, including where to download the content, here.