Quarantine Exercises to Keep Your Body Moving!

Exercises at home are about to get a lot easier. Don’t go mad trying to stay fit! Due to COVID-19, public parks and gyms are closing to encourage healthy social distancing in order to combat the spread of the virus. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities to stay fit while working from home!

Exercise Inside

Stretches

Before you perform any exercise, even something as simple lifting weights in your bedroom, you must stretch the muscles you intend to work out. Forgetting to stretch can lead to pain and injury if those muscles have not been strenuously utilized in awhile. Stretch out your full body or concentrate on some specific muscle sets so you can avoid hurting yourself in the long run.

A 7-minute stretch routine we recommend:

• Child’s pose – 30 seconds
• Ab stretch – 30 seconds
• Cat-cow pose – 30 seconds each
• Hip stretch – 30 seconds on both sides
• Bound angle pose – 30 seconds
• Lower back stretch – 30 seconds
• Standing forward bend – 30 seconds
• Low lunge pose – 30 seconds on both legs
• Obliques stretch – 30 seconds on both sides
• Clasp hand forward fold – 30 seconds

Yoga

Roll out that dusty yoga mat hiding in your closet! It’s time to finally use that thing, and you’ll be surprised why you haven’t been doing yoga before. Contrary to some belief, you can teach yourself yoga right at home with self-guided tutorials. Pay for an online livestream class, follow along with videos, or read some how-to instructions on how to start your own yoga flow and routine. Some exercises we like:

Some routines we like:

• Full Body Flow
• 15 Minute Morning Routine
• Yoga for Beginners
• Flexibility & Strength
• Bedtime Yoga

Bodyweight Exercises

Endless, simple exercises are available to you right now, right from where you’re standing or seated, and you don’t need any equipment to do them. How? Move your body! Cardio and strength training bodyweight exercises at home are easy, free, and accessible to anyone with an Internet connection.

Some exercises we like:

• Squats
• Bridges
• Lunges
• Reverse crunches
• Leg raises
• Chin ups
• Shoulder presses
• Chest squeezes
• Climbers
• Plank jump-ins

Exercise Equipment

If you’re a gym rat, you’re really feeling the loss of the endless assortment of exercise equipment typically at your disposal. These bodyweight routines just won’t cut it for you, and you need an ideal replacement for your lost gym membership. We recommend investing in some at-home gym equipment to get you through quarantine! Amazon offers an array of free weights and dumbbells, kettle balls, and other portable and discrete exercise equipment. If you’re not all about that muscle gain, we recommend investing in cardio equipment like an elliptical, treadmill, or the super-versatile and affordable DB Method to work out your whole body!

Exercise Outside

Just because we’re expected to self-isolate doesn’t mean we can’t step foot outdoors! On the contrary, parks and greenways in Wake County are still open so long as visitors practice ethical social distancing measures while out and about. If you’re ready to get some sun and keep six feet of distance from you and your neighbors, read on to find out about some great outdoor exercises.

Jogging/Running

It almost goes without saying: jogging is one of the easiest and best exercises to guarantee your weekly cardio. Chances are you live in a neighborhood with sidewalks or a great shaded, woody area of town. Lace up those running shoes and hit the streets! There are plenty of apps to get the unseasoned jogger started, like Couch Potato to 5K, which was created with first time runners in mind.

Brisk Walks

Walks are just as effective as running, if you know the proper form. Power walking may seem silly to the younger population as it’s typically associated with seniors and mall walkers, but it is quite an effective workout. A heal-toe walking strategy, feet pointed forwards, is the key to maximizing your power walk. Keep arms moving at 45-degree angles and carry some free weights, and you’ll feel the burn in no time!

Biking

Find one on Craigslist or drag your old Huffy out of the shed! Biking is still fair game during quarantine in Raleigh: it counts as exercise, plus you’ll be able to “travel” around town a bit if you plan your route carefully! Several greenways and bike trails remain open, though larger parks are closed. You can also find a neighborhood nearby that offers quaint, residential sights and more challenging uphill slopes. Bike exercises are entirely customizable!