The current restrictions can be challenging – and keeping moving and staying fit is one instance – but with a little creativity, we can find ways to keep our bodies in motion and our spirits up. Here are some tips to help.
Keep moving
The guidance is clear – leaving our homes for limited purposes, including for our daily exercise. That said, there are plenty of ways to find opportunities for movement insides those guidelines.
- Make that one outdoor excursion count – and make sure to soak up some Vitamin D while you are outside. Go for a walk, a bike ride, work in your garden – just make sure that you are getting into the open air whenever you can.
- Find an online exercise that works for you. Right now, fitness instructors all over the world are making their classes available online, often for free. Join us in doing Joe Wicks’ daily workout. Tap into mindfulness with Adriene Mishler’s yoga channel. There are literally hundreds of classes out there (just try typing “dance class” into the Youtube search bar and you’ll see what we mean) – find one you like.
- Find the ‘small activities’ around the house that keep you moving. A normal day involves a lot of movement, small activities that boost our cardiovascular system by keeping us moving – perhaps walking up and down the stairs, picking up the kids, and so on. Resist the inertia that wants to drag you down onto your couch cushions and find more ways to invest in these small activities. Maybe think of this as a chance to spend time doing those things that usually fall off your to-do list. Do you wish you had more time for gardening, cooking, craft, sewing, building furniture, cleaning the flat? Now’s your chance!
Unplug when you can
Right now it can feel like you need to be tapped in all the time. And, if you are like us, your Facebook timeline and Twitter feed are full of a distressing blend of scary news, rumour, and good old people-fighting-on-the-internet. Of course there are good things online too (look no further than John Krasinski’s Some Good News network for some truly delightful content) – but give yourself a break and unplug from the news during the day.
Get plenty of rest
Your daily schedule is probably all out of whack right now, which can make it hard to get the sleep your body needs. Give yourself a night-time routine that allows you to get the sleep you need. Going to bed and waking up at a similar time each day can help maintain a sense of normalcy. If worry is keeping you up at night, try to limit your news consumption before bed – instead, maybe work your way through that pile of books you’ve been meaning to get to…
