Written By
Stephanie Schierhuber
College
College of Healthcare Sciences
Publish Date
22 May 2020
Related Study Areas
Top tips to keep fit
Social distancing measures have put pause on many mornings at the gym or evenings at dance classes. While you might not be able to bust out any heavy lifts at home, there are still ways to fit in your fitness before or after work.
Talk to your trainer
Your gym might be closed but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue working towards your health and fitness goals. With many gyms offering online classes or programs tailored for home workouts, you can get your daily dose of exercise from the comfort of your lounge room. The same goes for your usual dance, Zumba, or yoga class, and as a bonus you might be helping to support local businesses.
Change it up
If you can’t do your usual workout from home, move beyond your comfort zone and try something new. Feel like you’ve got no rhythm? Give some basic dance moves a go. Maybe you’re a weightlifter without much flex? Challenge yourself and try some yoga or mobility work. Or maybe you’re all about cardio normally? Give some body-weight exercises a go and boost your strength.
Use what you have
As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. You might not have a set of dumbbells at home, but a little creativity can turn everyday items into workout aids. Tinned vegetables can be used as substitutes for light hand weights, that bag of rice or heavy book can add some extra weight to your squats, and even your children can join in to help make that plank harder for you.
Unleash your inner child
With many families simultaneously balancing work and school from home, things are bound to get a little chaotic or stressful. Channel that chaos into family fun time at the end of the day with a run under the sprinkler, a family dance party, or some backyard soccer. Not only does this totally count as a workout but it works to ease the whole family’s cabin fever — win-win!
Do what you can
With the current changes to work, school, and every other part of life, fitting in a whole workout just isn’t going to happen for some people. Forget perfection, forget expectations, and forget normal — doing what you can is the name of the game! If you’re keen to move but short on time or headspace try for a few stretches when you get up from your desk or a couple squats while you’re brewing your morning coffee and don’t stress the rest.