Creative and Fun Ways to Stay Fit & Move at Home
April 21, 2020How to Stay Fit at Home
If you’re stuck indoors, with a little creativity, there are many great options to get your body moving. It’s always a good reminder that, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and anxiety and help you sleep better.” With that said, here are some easy and fun options to stay fit and physically active at home.
| Technological Options |
The top go-to for many when it comes to finding ways to exercise is to use technology. Whether that’s finding videos on YouTube or using free versions of exercise apps on your phone, these are all wonderful ways to move. This option is great for those who find it difficult to motivate themselves to exercise when they have to create their own routine.
Similar to a group fitness class, just turn on the video or app and follow the instructor and the instructions. On top of that, instructors often live-stream classes on social media or through virtual meeting platforms. The best way to find what works best for you is to try them out!
| Use Your Home as a Gym |
You might not realize it, but your home has tons of exercise “equipment.” If you have stairs, walk or run up and down 10 times, once in the morning and once in the evening.
You can also do various exercise on the steps, such as calf raises, single-leg squats, and incline push-ups. Grab a chair and do chair squats, tricep dips and chair planks. You can even use the wall to do wall sits or wall pushups.
Get creative! The next time you finish brushing your teeth, do 10 pushups against the sink. Or try doing crunches in bed right when you wake up in the morning. Remember, these exercises do not have to be perfect. The goal here is to keep your body moving, keep yourself injury-free and have fun!
| Weightlifting with Everyday Objects |
Raid your kitchen and you’ll find a whole set of weights within your fridge, cupboards, and pantry. Grab two cans of beans and do lateral raises. With these one-pound makeshift weights, you can do 20 to 25 reps.
For something a little heavier, try doing deadlifts with a bag of rice or a large bottle of laundry detergent. If you look around and use a little creativity, you’ll see that most things can be used as weights.
The next time you sit down to watch Netflix, grab 2 bottles of water and do arm curls while your favorite show is on. You can even take a bundle of spoons, hold them out to the sides and do arm circles. If you’re working from home, there are many exercises, such as glute clenches and ab twists. Your only limitation is your own mind, so start exploring!
| Get Your Family Involved |
One of the best ways to keep yourself active and motivated is to involve the family. Not only is it fun, but it creates a strong sense of accountability when you regularly exercise together.
Start by creating challenges, such as running up and down the stairs for speed or counting who climbs the most flights in 3 minutes. Do you have a small child or baby? Use him or her as a weight! Hug them in your arms and do sumo squats. Lie your kid down on the floor and do pushups low enough to kiss their forehead.
And of course, the most fun activity of all: dance! Turn on some music and wiggle together! If you want, involve the dog or cat if they’ll let you. The more people you get moving in your family, the more fun it’ll be for everyone.
| Cleaning and Household Chores |
It may not be “fun” in the typical sense, but never underestimate the physical exertion it takes to do your “must do” activities. Cleaning your house is a lot of work! Put a little more power into your next vacuuming or floor-scrubbing session. Notice how many times you have to bend down and reach up as you sort and put away your laundry.
If you take time to reorganize your rooms, notice the boxes you lift and the steps you take from room to room. The plus side? Not only are you moving, but you’re cleaning your home, too!
Beyond cleaning, there are many other activities, such as changing lightbulbs, repainting the walls, and putting together a piece of furniture, that can get your heart rate up. In many cases, there are often many chores around the house that can keep you moving.
Remember, being stuck at home doesn’t mean having to be glued to the couch. Within your wonderful space, there’s so many opportunities to move your body to stay fit. Just turn on your creativity, grab that milk jug out of your fridge, and strengthen those biceps!
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Yelena Kibasova of MoreThanMyWeight.com is a 16-year bariatric post-op and NASM-certified personal trainer who provides coaching for bariatric patients at every stage of their journey. She is an award-winning writer and public speaker who passionately advocates for access to obesity care. You can find her content across all social media platforms at @morethanmyweight. Read more articles by Yelena! |
