How to Stay Fit at Home If You're Skipping the Gym

While you may be avoiding your gym during the pandemic due to health concerns, that doesn’t mean you can’t break a sweat while staying home.

Daily exercise offers many benefits that are especially important right now. Exercise promotes better physical and mental health by improving circulation, elevating endorphins, boosting the immune system and reducing stress. 

Establishing a consistent exercise routine while you stay home can add structure to your day, keep your body strong, and help alleviate stress. Here are a few ways you can stay active while staying safe. 

Tips for Working Out at Home

If you’re new to working out at home, it can be challenging to find the motivation outside of your normal fitness routine. Here are a few tips to help you master at-home workouts and stay healthy.

Establish a Routine

Going to a physical location, such as a gym or fitness class, naturally creates a structured routine around your workout. However, it can be easy to get distracted when working out from home. Schedule a block of time for your daily workout, and dedicate a space in your home for exercise. Try to avoid distractions during your workout as best you can. Following a workout plan, video, or app can help keep you focused. Stick with your workout schedule a few days per week to establish a consistent routine.

Work on New Skills

If you’re used to working out a gym and using their wide variety of equipment, it can be frustrating to have limited resources at home. Instead of trying to reproduce a gym workout, use this time to work on new skills and modes of exercise. 

For example, if you typically lift weights at the gym, focus on balance exercises and flexibility at home. If you normally do long cardio sessions at the gym, try doing lightweight strength training exercises at home. Not only will this give you a more positive perspective, but it will also provide valuable cross-training to make you stronger and more well-rounded once things get back to normal.

Find a Buddy

For many of us, working out at a gym provides a sense of community. Just because we’re working out at home, doesn’t mean we can’t have that same sense of community and accountability. Reach out to your favorite gym buddies, friends, and family to get a virtual home workout group together.

You can text each other to stay accountable or even video chat while you work out. Creating a sense of community can help ease the loneliness that comes with isolation, and help you look forward to your home workouts.

Utilize Virtual Classes

If you typically attend fitness classes or are looking for structured workouts to follow at home, keep in mind that many local gyms and studios are offering virtual classes. This is a great opportunity to support local business owners. Try reaching out to your previous instructors and ask if they are offering virtual options. You can also check out the following:

• 405 Yoga - Located in Midtown, 405 Yoga offers a variety of yoga classes online for all levels and abilities to help OKC stay “strong, sweaty, and powerful” even in isolation. 
• Le Bloc Pilates - Inspired by the west coast, Le Bloc Pilates is currently offering a variety of mat Pilates and high-intensity boot camp classes online.
• Soul Yoga - Specializing in Vinyasa Flow, Beginners, Myofascial Release, Yin Yoga and Meditation, Soul Yoga is currently offering live streaming and on-demand classes.
• This Land Yoga - Offering a variety of classes to nourish the body, mind, and spirit, This Land Yoga has a library of on-demand classes for only $8. You can also purchase a subscription for $18 per month to receive unlimited streaming.

If you can’t find a local class you love, you can choose from a variety of fitness apps that offer workouts for everyone. Many of these apps are offering 30-day free trials or discounted rates to allow more people to participate during this time.

• YMCA - YMCA 360 brings your favorite group classes from the Y right to your home. They offer kickboxing, bootcamp, kids yoga, and so much more. Their on-demand videos are accessible to everyone, no fee or subscription required. 
• Fit Body App - Anna Victoria is a globally recognized certified personal trainer who developed the Fit Body App to empower women to improve their health through workout programs, proper nutrition guidance, emotional support and a dedicated community of women from all over the world. All of her programs are currently discounted and she is offering a 30-day free trial. 
• FIIT - The FIIT app offers both group and on-demand classes, including HIIT, strength training, combat, yoga, mobility flows, Pilates and breathwork. You can sign up for a 14-day free trial this month. 
• Peloton Digital - Most people know Peloton as a luxury stationary bike and treadmill company, but they also offer an app with a wide variety of at-home and outdoor guided workouts, including running, strength, toning, cycling, yoga, and meditation. They are currently offering 90 days free for people who sign up before April 30.

Staying Active Outdoors

While strength, stability and flexibility training can be beneficial to do at home, keep in mind that outdoor exercise is always recommended as well. As the weather warms in Oklahoma, there are many outdoor activities to keep you in shape and offer a little time outside of your home.

Walking, jogging, biking and rollerblading are great outdoor activities you can do around your neighborhood or at a local park. If you do choose to work out outside, please practice safe social distancing and try to go out during low-traffic hours.