We all know that exercise has a lot of benefits. While exercise can improve your physical health, it is also a great way to distract your mind and improve your mental clarity. Exercise creates endorphins in the body that help boost your mood. Exercise can be a great tool to include in your recovery process and can assist in keeping your mind clear and focused.
While studio and gym memberships can get pricey, there are several alternatives that can give you the same great workout. There are hundreds of different types of at home workout routines that will keep you engaged and sweating hard. From yoga, to running, to HIIT, there is no shortage of fun workouts that can help distract your mind and help keep you on the path to becoming a healthier you. Because of our current situation combating COVID-19, staying at home is more important than ever! However staying at home does not mean your health has to get put on hold, there are several fun workouts you can do from the comfort of your own home!
Here is a closer look at a few different types of workouts that keep you moving and mentally focused from the comfort of your own home.
- Yoga
- Just like people, yoga comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether you are looking to practice a more traditional form with meditation, or a more intense workout such as “yoga sculpt there are so many different types of yoga practices to try. Yoga can provide a great workout, but it is also known to help clear your mind and assist in finding inner peace. There are a variety of ways to practice yoga as well. Simply roll out a mat and watch some videos online. YouTube, Gaia, DailyBurn.com, and Corepower Yoga are some great resources to help you discover your perfect yoga flow. Because of the stay at home order that most states are now experiencing, CorePower yoga is also offering live streams of their studio workouts! Most videos are free to watch, and some websites that require subscriptions are giving away first month free deals all the time! Sometimes the most effective yoga workouts are ones you do alone—which is when many people find the most mental clarity and are able to truly focus.
- Pilates Inspired Classes
- While pilates has been around for some time, it is more popular than ever. It’s an excellent full body workout that requires you to focus on every movement which, as a result, distracts your mind. Pilates has been proven to help improve strength, flexibility, posture and mental awareness. Pilates is a great tool to help your mind relax while also allowing you to strengthen your muscles and flexibility along the way. Like yoga, there are many online resources available to help you begin your workouts. Some of these are equipment free, while others use simple equipment such as 5lbs weights and a yoga mat, which can be purchased through amazon!
- Hiking
- Hiking is a fun and free way to get your body moving while enjoying the outdoors. Hiking is known to help clear your mind and escape from all the loud distractions of the world. Hiking can be done alone or with friends, and the intensity of the hike is totally up to you. There is even a website called AllTrails.com that shows reviews and ranking of hiking trails in your area. Take advantage of the great outdoors and make sure to incorporate a hike into your routine every now and then! Though hiking is not an at home activity, it is very important to practice social distancing when leaving your home for a hike, staying at least 6 feet away from fellow hikers and refrain from touching any public places.
- Zumba/Dancing
- Dancing has always been a great way to let loose and live in the moment. And now there are workout classes that incorporate HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) while teaching you sweet new dance moves! Zumba is inspired by traditional Latin American Dance and has grown in popularity over the years. There are thousands of Zumba videos online to learn from and to choose the style that you enjoy the most. Zumba is a carefree activity that is fun to do with others so you’re all focused and dancing to the rhythm of the music together. Zumba is a great group workout activity to do alongside your family or friends, in the comfort of your own home. Just turn on a Zumba Youtube video and dance your hearts out while burning calories.
Exercise has proven to be a useful tool in recovery because it distracts our mind while releasing endorphins (hormones that make us feel happy), resulting in a healthier mind and body. While not all of these activities may be for you, trying out different workouts until you find your favorite can help you get into the rhythm of working out regularly. Create a routine. Building a workout routine into your everyday life can help provide an inner sense of peace that makes recovery just a little easier.