The never-ending cold weather already makes it difficult to stay active in the Winter but trying to exercise from home because of Quarantine doesn’t help us stay motivated to do so either. I can’t be the only one who’s tired of running on the treadmill or making up workouts to do on the floor of my bedroom. So, I’ve decided to compile a list of my favorite at-home workouts that’ll help you get the blood flowing and reach your daily step count goal — hopefully, you’ll be able to add them to your routine!
My family hasn’t touched our old Wii Gaming System in at least five years, but we found our old Just Dance video games and rebooted the system to try it out after all this time. Turns out after a few rounds of dancing you really do break into a sweat. It’s a fun way to dance along to some of your favorite pop classics while getting in a full-body workout. It’s even more fun when you can get your family members or roommates to join and make it a competition!
Sticking with the dancing theme, Zumba is one of my all-time favorite group exercise classes to attend. It may seem silly at first to dance to a YouTube recording in your living room, but once you start, you can’t stop. LiveLoveParty and Carolina B’s YouTube Channels have hundreds of Zumba workouts for all ages and skill levels. You can quickly sift through and pick out the routines to your favorite songs and create a playlist to get a full 45 minute to an hour-long workout! Drexel’s Rec Center also offers their group exercise classes on Zoom through a first come first serve sign up basis, which includes Zumba, yoga and more!
TV show themed workouts have become a fast trend on social media and it’s a fun way to get up and move while enjoying the newest episode of your favorite show. I’ve seen a few of these workout lists floating around on Instagram and Pinterest where certain situations that occur on the episode correlate with an exercise or a stretch, such as doing 10 push-ups every time a contestant cries on “the Bachelor” or holding a 30-second plank every time a doctor is paged into surgery on “Grey’s Anatomy.” The workouts go by much faster when your mind is preoccupied with something much more enjoyable.
Because I work a hybrid schedule for co-op this term, I find myself sitting in the same spot for hours on end when I work from home. This leaves me feeling sore and achy from not moving all day, and by the time I’m done with all my work for the day I have no motivation or energy to even think about working out. A coworker once shared in a meeting that she devotes the last 10 minutes of every hour to take a walk around her house, fill up her water bottle or just stretch out her legs. It’s an easy way to get some much-needed steps in, but it also boosts your productivity as you return to your desk with a clearer brain! Obviously, with meetings and pre-scheduled events, this is not always possible, but taking the time to spend 10 minutes away from your laptop every so often to just walk around is great for the body and mind.
Using your Alexa or Google Home device is a great guided fitness or stretch routine. You can use the coordinating app for the device to “learn the skill” so you can ask Alexa or Google to “start my 15-minute ab workout” or “start six-minute full-body stretch.” There are even embedded features that can help keep track of your daily water intake or step count by speaking to the device each time you hit a milestone. While you can perform these exercises without the device, it’s nice to have someone talk you through the routine so you know that you’re doing it properly, even if that someone is a robot!
While many gyms and community center facilities remain closed, it’s nice to have a set of indoor workout routines you can turn to when it’s too cold to go outside and you want to mix it up! Hopefully, this gives you an idea of new exercises you can implement into your schedule!