6 top tips for keeping fit at home during Covid-19 isolation
It can be hard to think about your fitness, whilst in isolation, but it is important to keep fit and healthy whilst being at home especially if you are used to having regular exercise.
Co Down model and author of The House Work Work Out, Patience Bradley said now is the time for people to get to grips with their personal fitness.
She added: “Even if you don’t usually take regular exercise, the extra time you might have on your hands can be a great opportunity to focus on your fitness”.
Here are her top tips for keeping fit in isolation:
1. Make a Plan
In isolation it can be hard to know what to do with your day and you may often feel overwhelmed by not having the structure in your daily life.
Patience says planning is the key to success: “Making a plan can be the perfect way to structure your day and allows you to see where you can fit exercise in. Plan how much time per day you intend to spend on fitness whether it be 30 minutes or an hour and try to stick to this. You will then feel you’ve accomplished something once you complete it.”
2. Wake Up With A Positive Mindset
Patience said: “Mindset is a huge part of keeping fit, it can be easy to slip into a negative way of thinking when you are stuck in the house. But remember everything you are grateful for and even write a list of things you are grateful for to put things into perspective. Lying in bed all day can reduce your mood, so it’s important to get up out of bed and release some endorphins.”
3. Make Exercise Part of Your Housework
“Isolation can be the perfect time to get housework done or even odd jobs that you’ve been putting off. You can incorporate exercise into the tasks. For example rather than standing try running on the spot. Try doing calf raises whilst washing the dishes or lunging while you vacuum or clean. These exercises will help you keep your muscle strength whilst in isolation” explained Patience.
4. Use What You Have
You might not have your own treadmill in your house, but Patience says you don’t need fancy equipment to get a good workout.
“Running up and down stairs can burn around 500 calories per hour” she said, adding: “This is a great way to still be able to do cardio from the confines of your home. If you have a garden this is the perfect time to use it to get some fresh air whilst completing your exercise.”
5. Get the Family Involved
“There’s nothing better than turning your workout into a fun family affair. Help each other to stay motivated and even create competitions to make it more fun.”
6. Try Breathing Exercises
“As well as your body, it is important to make sure your lungs are healthy at this time and for this you can do breathing exercises. Take a deep breath in through your nose and a longer slower breath through your mouth – do this three times and spend some time thinking about how you feel.”
The House Work Work Out by Patience Bradley is published by Excalibur Press and available from Amazon or www.excaliburpress.co.uk/book-
