Feeling isolated and inactive amid the COVID-19 pandemic? You’re not alone. But there are ways to lift your spirits … and your heart rate.
The Wellness Council of Indiana (WCI) offers several tips for staying active at home. WCI guides Hoosier organizations through the development, implementation and evaluation of their own comprehensive and sustainable workplace well-being efforts.
The question presents itself: How to stay active when considering social distancing and being asked to “shelter in place?” Despite the closures of our favorite gyms and yoga studios, there are a vast amount of fitness options to get ourselves moving.
Walk. Most importantly, practice safe social distancing if you choose to walk outside. Consider taking work and personal calls on your feet. Steps earned pacing around your house still count!
Stand up. Try to reduce long periods of time spent sitting. Being stuck at home may cause us to fall into sedentary behaviors. One option is to set an alarm on your watch or phone as a reminder to stand up every 30 minutes.
Take short active breaks. You don’t need to complete an entire workout to feel accomplished. Taking multiple short active breaks add up. Consider taking a few minutes to work on your garden, dance with your kids, do a load of laundry, etc.
Follow an online exercise class. Many organizations are now offering free virtual workout classes. These virtual trainings offer a variety of different types of workouts to fit all fitness levels and health conditions. They are also a great way to feel connected.
Relax. Meditation and breathing exercises have been found to help reduce stress and anxiety.
As you see, there are many ways to keep yourself moving in your home. If you are sheltering in place with family or roommates, make it a team effort! Consider creating a fitness challenge. A little friendly competition might be beneficial to keep yourself motivated, as well as helping your kids to burn off some of their extra energy!
Free Online Exercise Classes:
YMCA 360
Symone Skrzycki is the senior communications manager for the Indiana Chamber. She is also a senior writer for the Chamber’s award-winning BizVoice magazine and has been with the organization for 19 years.
