Staying Fit While Staying Home: Indoor Fitness Around the World
You’re snuggled up in bed after a few hours of Netflix, cup of coffee or cola in hand. Watching one beautiful scene after another, you get the travel urges again, which have only gotten worse since you’ve been asked to stay home as much as possible. Looking through rows and rows of cancelled flights, you scroll through travel articles, hoping to satiate your wanderlust through their words. But then your bubble is burst - BudgetAir.com.au is talking about exercise.
We’re exploring ways to keep the indoor life interesting, all while staying in shape for our next great escape! The World Health Organization recommends two-and-a-half hours of physical activity a day to stay healthy - a tall order especially if you’re used to getting your exercise fix outdoors. However, with a little equipment or creativity, you’ll be physically and mentally ready to jump back into travelling once the viral calamity passes!
Get on Your Old Bike (or Any Equipment You’ve at Home!)
Got an old ab roller, exercise bike, or chin-up bar you’ve cast aside for too long? Now’s the time to give these forgotten fitness experiments a new lease of life! Dumbbells can be adapted to fit just about any gym routine, while steps around the house can double as cardio stations. Runs and sprints can be replaced with a quick circuit on the exercise bike, as demonstrated by professional football Shkodran Mustafi:
M̶a̶t̶c̶h̶d̶a̶y̶ ̶m̶i̶n̶u̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 20, 2020
But the hard work still continues! 🚴♂️@MustafiOfficial's giving us a glimpse into his #WorkingFromHomeLife over on our IG 📱 pic.twitter.com/vSHY2jR0sk
Got none of these at home? Don’t splurge on a full home gym just yet - calisthenics, or body weight training, serves just as well! A daily routine of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats will leave you feeling much better, while also making your trips to the fridge a little less guilt-ridden.
Pick Up An Indoor Sport
The words ‘indoor’ and ‘sport’ don’t go together often, but notable examples include table tennis, squash, dodgeball, and bowling. While we won’t advise a full-blown family dodgeball slugfest (which will probably crack more windows than calories), some people have taken it upon themselves to switch up their favorite sports indoors!
Other families have gone even further and brought an entire obstacle course indoors for their kids - a great way to keep the kids entertained and healthy at the same time. You and your kids will be ready for some scenic hikes in no time!
Dance the Night Away - on TikTok!
The TikTok craze is taking the world by storm right now, and when used right, it could take some calories off as well! With nothing to do at home, countless social media users have taken it upon themselves to conjure up dance challenges that everyone can follow with some practice. Take this amazing rendition of The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights:
If you’re confident in your fancy footwork and could use a challenge, try this high-intensity bop that’ll get your blood pumping right off the bat. Alternatively, you could try to come up with something of your own with a favorite song you’ve been grooving to all 2020 - who knows, your friends all over social media may catch on and dance along with you, one video clip at a time!
We all have a role to play in keeping ourselves and our family members safe from COVID-19, and serving our stay-home notices is part of the process. While you’re getting your workouts in or coping with unfamiliar work-from-home arrangements, remember to eat and sleep well while practicing social distancing measures as recommended by your local authorities. Stay healthy, everyone!
