The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about uncertain times and significant disruptions to all areas of life, including our daily physical activity and fitness routines. These disruptions are not only an inconvenience but also pose serious threats to our health and well-being.  

Staying at home for prolonged periods of time can pose a significant challenge for remaining physically active. Stationary behavior and low levels of physical activity can have negative effects on our health, well-being and quality of life. Self-quarantine can also cause additional stress and challenge our mental health. The CDC recommends getting 30 minutes of physical activity each day, this assists in maintaining and improving overall health. Remaining physically active can help you maintain your current level of fitness along with have a positive impact on your mental health, especially important during stressful times like these.

Below are some tips and resources that you can use to maintain your health and fitness during these unique times.

Take short active breaks during the day.

This can be as simple and getting up and walking laps around your house or doing simple fitness challenges with your family. Be creative, any activity is better than no activity.

Stuck on a long call or teleconference? Stand up and do some basic strength and balance exercises, such as squats, desk or wall push-ups, wall sits or calf raises. Another great option if possible is to keep small hand weights or a resistance band at your desk for exercises like bicep curls, arm raises, rows and overhead shoulder presses.

Follow an online exercise class.

There are many options for exercising at home. Videos on demand from your TV provider, streaming services, or mobile apps can bring instruction directly to you. Just make sure to choose one with the right level of difficulty for your fitness level.
Use social media and videoconferencing apps to remain “social” with your workouts. If you have a workout class that you typically participate in, gather your workout partners and do a virtual session.

Enjoy the outdoors!

Go for a walk, run, of bike ride. Getting outdoors offers good opportunities for physical activity and the fresh air and sunlight can have positive impacts on your mental health. When outdoors, you should still practice social distancing and adhere to CDC and local government guidelines.

Don’t over complicate it, keep moving!

Most importantly during all of this, find something that interests you and keeps you positive and engaged in staying active. Just because our normal routines have been changed, don’t let that discourage you from being active and fit!