A Guide to Home Exercise Options

Most gyms closed a few weeks ago due to social distancing mandates, which means you haven’t been able to go to your favorite yoga or cycling class. Of course, you know you don’t need a gym to workout, there are plenty of exercises you can do at home. If you are looking for ways you can get your body moving during quarantine, here are a few of our favorite options for easy exercises at home.

Why Exercise?

Moving your body daily has many health benefits for your physical and mental health. Regular exercise is beneficial for heart health, muscle strength and flexibility. Mentally, exercise helps you deal with stress and anxiety, boosting endorphins. Getting moving during this time is particularly critical to help keep your immune system strong and stress at bay. Since your only option right now is at home exercise, you need to look for simple ways to move your body every day.

Exercises You Can Do at Home

There are many options right now for home exercise, which means there is no excuse to not be getting off the couch and into a fitness routine. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Go for a walk. One of the simplest cardio exercises at home for beginners is to go for a stroll around your neighborhood. Just lace up your sneakers and start walking. Just be sure to maintain social distance from others.
• Try to increase your exercise steps at home. Put on a step tracker of your choice and try to get more steps every day. See how many you can get in one day.
• Deck of cards workout. An easy cardio exercise at home with no equipment is the deck of cards workout. Grab a deck of cards and assign an exercise to each suit. For example, hearts are push-ups, spades are squats. Draw a card and complete the number of repetitions dictated by the card. Try to get through all 52 cards.
• Pick a body part. Each day, pick one body part to work on. For example, try this back exercises at home routine from Daily Burn. Tomorrow look for leg exercises and rotate each day.

Trainer Led Home Exercises

Many popular fitness websites and gyms are offering free trials right now for at home exercises. Here are a few you might want to check out:

• Planet Fitness. This gym is streaming a live workout daily on their Facebook page at 7pm EST, just log in to follow along. Blink Fitness is doing a similar stream at 8am EST.
• Peloton. Best known for their pricey bikes and treadmills, Peloton is offering free access to its fitness app for 90 days, no equipment required.
• Orangetheory. This cardio-focused gym is offering a free daily workout on YouTube.

These are just a few of the free suggestions for working out at home right now, but many different websites and fitness apps are offering free trials of their premium services.

Staying Consistent at Home

The lack of routine while staying at home can make exercise challenging, this is why it is important to start a daily routine when it comes to working out. Set a time for your workout and lace up your tennis shoes. Check in with a friend or family member for accountability daily.

If you have children, get them involved too, they also need to move their bodies. Make a family walk a daily routine. Consider one of the many kids-focused workouts like Cosmic Kids Yoga or Go Noodle, with these options they will be exercising without even knowing it.

Regular home exercise is a great way to pass the time and stay healthy while at home. Pick your favorite work out and get moving.