Stay Active
Another thing we know from research is that physical
activity releases chemicals in your brain that improve your mood. Staying
active can also help you feel healthy and accomplished, and it is another way
to help bring structure to your day.
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Schedule
a time of day, a duration, and physical space for your workout that has a
high likelihood of happening. For example, if you’re not a morning person, it
wouldn’t be wise to go for a 6am 2-hour workout. Similarly, if you typically
eat at 6pm, a 6:30 workout also wouldn’t be the best idea. Shoot for a time
when you have a break in your schedule, a duration that fits your pre-COVID
behaviors, and a space that is conducive to working out.
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Try one
of the dozens of free workout apps or websites! This is a link to 50 (five-zero)
of the best free, at-home workout sites/videos/routines. There is every type of
workout you could ask for, from yoga to high intensity interval training (HIIT),
to Pilates. https://makeyourbodywork.com/how-to-exercise-at-home/
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Instead of viewing this as a time where you are
unable to be as active as you would like (i.e., go to the gym, commute to work,
take walks), use this as a time to explore
fitness genres you may never have tried before. Perhaps you have always
gravitated toward weightlifting – give kickboxing a try. Maybe you have been a
core power person – see what a HIIT workout feels like. This could easily be
turned into a specific goal on your daily to-do list.
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GO
OUTSIDE. Quarantined and/or sheltered in place does not mean you can’t
still walk/run/bike outside (just maintain 6 feet of distance from your
neighbors). People need fresh air, and nothing makes you want to be back at
home more than a little Chicago weather fatigue. Luckily it’s not too cold at
this point to enjoy being outside, so take a walk on your lunch break, walk the
stairs of your local park, take an animal for an extra long walk, or take a
nice jog outside.
