Exercising During The Pandemic

Yes we almost two years into the pandemic and it still is rearing its ugly head.  Many people are so tired of everything and have decided to go back to normal and ignore the consequences but others are still learning their mask, eating take-out, and doing their best to avoid being exposed to the virus.  This article is designed for those of us who are to willing to return to "normal".  In addition, when the weather gets bad, people are less likely to want to head out or to fight the bad roads so one has to exercise at home.

Unfortunately, in these times, it is sometimes hard to regularly work out, especially with weights or other machines.  Since many people have switched to working at home, it is important to workout at least three days a week to take full advantage of exercise. 

One exercise that is easy to do at home is Yoga. Yoga is a great low impact exercise that uses the weight of the body for maximum benefits.  There are lots of yoga videos on YouTube one can view or download for use.  In addition, there are also lots of apps with yoga routines and websites offering online classes.  If you have bandwidth issues, look at purchasing several DVD's with routines.  I love using yoga for balance practice at least twice a week.

In addition, one can pick up a set of weights or resistance bands at Wal-mart, Target, or order off of Amazon to help with muscles strength and preventing bone loss.  If you don't have a chance to get any, grab a couple cans of food to use.  Most 16 ounce cans are just the right size to fit your hands nicely. To get started, there are routines on YouTube you can follow, or look for an exercise app with these routines.  I've found some really nice workouts on DVD's that give me a great workout with weights or resistance bands.  In fact, some routines are "walking" routines that incorporate these into the routine so you work groups of muscles at one time.

If the weather is nice, head outside for a nice long walk or jog or even take a bike ride. Don't forget to avoid groups of people while outside, maintain proper social distancing, and carry a mask incase you need it.  On a bad day, look online for good aerobic type classes. There are "walking", Zumba, or circuit classes for something to get your breathing up and leaving you nice and sweaty.  

If nothing else, focus on exercises that use your own body weight such as lunges, squats, pushups, planks, leg lifts, etc. The easiest way is to perform as many repetitions in one minutes before pausing and repeating it on the other side for lunges, squats, etc. It is possible to create your own circuit by mixing and matching the exercises. 

Another one of my favorites, is to put some good rock and roll music on so I can dance the twist, the pony, and whatever else catches my fancy.  The important thing is to move around but the movement doesn't have to all be done in a 30 minute stretch.  If you want, do body weight based exercising for 10 mins in the morning, dance for 10 minutes in the afternoon and finish the day with 10 minutes of yoga.  Mix and match but get the exercise done.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.