My Favorite Home Workouts

Quarantine has been challenging for so many different reasons, but personally I have found staying active during all of this to be one of the hardest parts. At the start of the stay at home policy, I let myself go a bit more than I would like to admit. I was bummed about missing out on all of the final celebrations at my university & had not accepted the reality of the situation. I began snacking all the time out of boredom. It wasn’t that I did not have things to do. It was simply that heading to the kitchen to make another snack was a type of change of scenery that kept me distracted. I was sad about the entire quarantine and because of the weight of it all, I did not have the energy, desire, or ability to be as active as I usually am.

After a week or two of slumping around, I realized that I had had enough & my pants were a little bit tighter than they normally are, so I decided to find ways to stay active at home while still allowing myself to slow down a bit and give myself grace. Below are some of the resources and tips that have helped me (some of which I will definitely be continuing to use after quarantine is over!)

1. Podcast Walks

   We’ve all seen the Tik Toks & memes about the amount of walks we have all been taking during this time & as funny as they are, I honestly didn’t think about the practicality of it at first. All exercise counts & when I do not feel like doing a full on work out, I force myself to at least move my body a little bit. It helps clear my mind, boosts endorphins, & makes me much more pleasant to be around. Personally, I get bored walking by myself or walking a dog & tend to cut the walks shorter than what my body needs. Because of this, I started listening to 30 minute or 1 hour long podcasts as I walk. It’s become a sort of ritual. Every morning I will put something motivational on & I will walk around the neighborhood until the end of the podcast. I’ve found that it helps me start my day feeling accomplished, inspired, & energized!
   

   Some of my favorite Podcasts I’ve been listening to are
   The Health Code
   NPR Life Kit
   The Porch
   The School of Greatness

2. Online HIIT classes
   HIIT classes are my favorite because they don’t take up much time & leave me feeling life I got my sweat on. Orange Theory is one of my favorite studios to go to in LA & their online classes they are offering right now are amazing! They walk you through each movement and also have music & a timer built in. Check out Orange Theory At Home!

3. Mat Pilates Exercises

   I’ve found that pilates works well for me because it is a mix between a full on workout session and something slower. I feel like I am actually targeting different muscle groups & can take my time. I prefer pilates over yoga & usually use my time on my mat to destress while also toning specific areas.

4. Jogs (I wish I was a real runner but without the treadmill I just can’t hang)
   Lastly, I have been forcing myself to jog during part of my walk. I wish I was a runner. I really do. When I am at the gym, I am able to run on the treadmill or elliptical, but for some reason I am not able to motivate myself to keep going without the machine underneath my feel literally forcing me to move. Tackling short sprints & jogs feels much more attainable that telling myself I’m going to run the full route & as I said before, all movement counts!