COVID-19 has been an experience of sorts. Making home the center of activity, it has forced people to completely reorient their lifestyles. Gone are the gym classes, and the yoga retreats. Now, every fitness exercise is limited within the confines of your home, which can become very dull.
Therefore, it is important to explore different ways in which you can continue working out and retain your journey of wellness!
Explore the different types of workouts
There are many different types of workouts, and you do not have to stick to the old, boring gym routine. In order to make your exercise session fun, pick a new genre of exercise every week. Experience the different flavors of cardio that the world has to offer.
However, be sure to not overdo. Start at the level that you think you can do. Otherwise, you can get injured, meriting a visit to an orthopedic surgeon in Lahore.
Family workout session
It’s fun when the entire family gets together for some activity. Family workout sessions are not just good physical exercise, but also a great bonding experience for the family. To make it more interesting, different things can be done to motivate each other into working out like trophy for the winner, loser does the dishes etc.
All friends united, virtually
Fitness classes were helpful as they fostered a sense of community, as different people, some friends, some strangers, came together in the pursuit of game goal. And well, misery does love company.
But, with the pandemic, everyone is cooped up in their houses, decreasing their motivation to work out. However, you can easily do Zoom fitness classes, where you come together with your gym-buddies to sweat it!
Online challenges
There are many online pages that conduct different challenges, like 42-days or 30-challenges. So, spice up your workout session by bringing out your competitive streak. After all, there is nothing like healthy competition (pun intended)!
Dance time!
Nothing is more creative or fun than dancing. As you move and groove, you not only have enjoy yourself, but also work your heart rate up. Serving as the perfect aerobic exercise, dance is perfect for toning muscles and also losing weight.
Moreover, as you do the different steps, you also challenge your brain, your muscles and your coordination. Swinging to the rhythm of the beats also helps you destress. Plus, there are so many different types of dances that give you insights into different cultures. So, you not only get physically fit, but also expand your horizons.
Best yet is the fact that dancing does not feel like a workout, so rather than taking it as a chore that you feel apprehensive about, you look forward to dancing your way to fitness.
Set up a screen in front of the machine
For those who have exercise machines at home like elliptical or treadmill, they can incentivize themselves into working out by putting a screen in front of their machines. So, as you binge watch Netflix, catch up on the latest vlogs, or YouTube your favorite dramas, you also get your entertainment fix.
It helps to keep your mind occupied. So, instead of focusing on the burning in the calves from the exercise, you get engrossed in the story. Exercise then feels more fun and time passes by rather quickly.
Yoga for the win
Some people are apprehensive about working out solely because they simply cannot do the high intensity steps like jumping jacks or burpees. While these exercises are great for the body, let’s be honest, they can push you a little too much out of your zone. The stitch on the side and the breathlessness start feeling like torture instead.
Yoga, on the other hand, is low impact yet effective. Rather than huffing and puffing, it involves a calm and controlled approach. It also is super soothing, so those who want to relax yet workout, go for yoga!
Sneak in exercise
You do not always have to think of exercise as an hour of your life that you dedicate to sweating. You can exercise anywhere, anytime, without the pressure of being in a gym. This also helps your mind associate positive things with workout.
Waiting for the eggs to boil, hmm, do a few lunges. Commercial break on the television, do a few reps of pushups. Thinking of what to do next, mix in a few squats. Easy does it.
Make more of your talk time
With everyone stuck at home, thanks to COVID-19, social interaction has shifted majorly to the internet or telephones. Many of us spend significant time daily, catching up with our parents or friends.
So, as you talk on the phone, walk. This way, you get to not only workout, but make more of your time. Conversely, you can also use your walk time as an opportunity to talk to people, therefore, giving yourself an incentive to walk.
Exercise in your bed
Half the time, it’s the exertion into preparing for the exercise that feels more fatiguing than the workout routine itself. But when you can exercise in bed, it’s not so bad!
Do not let yourself down by feeling lazy, but know that exercising in bed is great for engaging the core muscles, improving balances and toning glutes and abs. There are many different exercises that you can do when lazing around in bed.
Go for the relatively easier straight leg lift –which literally is lifting up your legs – or more challenging reverse crunches, totally up on your mood!
However, be safe. Not every mattress can sustain the movements and be careful about not rolling out onto the floor. In case of any injury, immediately visit an orthopedic surgeon in Islamabad, lest it’s something serious.
