A sedentary lifestyle is a breeding ground for all kinds of diseases and complications. Despite this being a well-known fact, it’s especially difficult to prevent it from being your reality during the pandemic. The shock of having fewer social engagements is just beginning to wear off, and adjusting to remote work and distance learning is taking longer than you expected.
This might feel like a good reason to delay a new workout regimen, but the opposite is true. Your current emotional turmoil over the “new normal” is a good motivation to start moving because the more active you are, the better you’ll cope mentally, emotionally, and physically. It might surprise you to find that it’s the solution you need to perform at your best again.
Install a Home Gym
If you’re going to invest in any home improvement project during the pandemic, it should be in a home gym. There’s nothing like the feeling of being in a space dedicated to working out to get you moving. It doesn’t have to be as spacious or equipped as a commercial gym. If you don’t have the budget to purchase exercise bikes and ellipticals all at once, then do it slowly. Opt for those that you’re sure you’ll use.
Perhaps you’re an avid runner and yoga practitioner. Start with a treadmill and a quality yoga mat. Refer to color psychology in designing your space, and make sure that it’s not only aesthetically pretty but durable and safe as well. If your home gym is right next to your bedroom, what excuse will you have to skip out on leg day, right?
Sign Up for One Social Engagement
Since social distancing is still in effect and people are advised to stay at home as much as possible, you must limit your social activities to only a few essentials. Florida has health protocols that reduce the risk of contracting the virus in public spaces, making it less frightening to leave the house. Consider signing up for piano lessons. Learning to play an instrument enables you to socialize with other people, learn a new skill, and regularly leave the house for a good reason.
Grocery shopping and running other errands provide the chance to go around, but they can also come with the stress of feeling like you’re simply out on a mission. Attending classes engages you in a way that refreshes you mentally and emotionally, making it easier to stay disciplined in working out.
Start Gardening
A thirty-minute run on the treadmill and an hour of beginner yoga are excellent for your health, but they can’t be the only activities that keep you from sinking into the sofa. Gardening is another subtle physical activity that has a variety of health benefits.
It can prevent diabetes, depression, heart disease, and osteoporosis. It can also lower your cholesterol level and blood pressure, which is especially helpful for older adults. When practiced regularly, gardening can give your major muscle groups a considerable workout. Never underestimate the physicality of weeding, digging, mowing, and setting plants ever again.
Staying Active Is Simple
Maintaining an active lifestyle, even in the midst of a pandemic, is simpler than most people believe. The real battle is in mind, where all the excuses not to workout protect the sedentary lifestyle you’ve learned to enjoy. Instead of overthinking the matter, just put on your running shoes and start moving. The more you do it, the easier it gets to ignore excuses.
