Important Message from The Joint Chiropractic regarding COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) - Read More

At Home Guide: How to Stay Active While Indoors

By Sara Butler

Time at Home

Have you been spending more time at home lately? If you’re like most people, the answer is likely a groaning “Yeeesssss.” Staying home without your normal outlets for activity such as school and the gym can put a damper on your activity level. Luckily, there are several ways you can stay more active while also staying at home. Here are a few practical tips from the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic to help you actively pass the time.

How Much Activity Do You Need?

The recommendation for adults is to get about 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. If you’re intensely training for something, then you can crank that down to 75. But let’s be honest, right now it’s probably an accomplishment to brush your teeth and change out of your pajamas each day, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you can accomplish 150 minutes, then good for you. If not, it’s not the end of the world right now.

The key here is to work movement into your day every day. Any activity is always going to be better than sitting on the couch and bingeing Tiger King, and activity has a lot of benefits for your health and mental wellness that Joe Exotic can’t provide.

Sit Less

One of the best things you can do for yourself right now is to simply sit less. Take regular breaks at least once per hour when you’re working from your home office or watching television. Spending one or two minutes walking around the house or playing with your pet is a great way to get in some movement.

It’s also not a bad idea to alternate between standing and sitting. You may want to take the leap and rig that standing desk area you’ve been thinking about. It can make a big difference in how you feel and give your body a break from all that sitting.

Take the Stairs

Do you have stairs in your home or apartment building? Put them to good use! Stair climbing happens to be an incredibly effective cardiovascular workout to help maintain your fitness level. Climbing the stairs for as little as one minute at a fast pace each day can improve your fitness level. So, take those stairs!

Just Dance

The state of the world can feel a little overwhelming right now. One way to easily feel better both mentally and physically is to put on your favorite song and have a dance party. Dancing helps to maintain fitness and is great for your heart. Plus, it can qualify as a moderate or high-intensity exercise depending on how into it you get. Throw in the endorphins your body releases when dancing and you’ll feel so excited and you just can’t hide it. And you know you’ve always wanted to recreate the dance scene from Risky Business. There’s no time like the present.

Play With Kids and Pets

This is an opportunity to bond with the other members of your household and create some memories together, so take advantage of it as you work in some movement to everyone’s day. Go outside and throw or kick a ball around, dust off your hula hoops and have a contest, or just go for a walk together and take in some fresh air and sunshine. You’ll all be better for it.

Whatever You Do, Just Do Something

You don’t have to put pressure on yourself right now to increase your activity level as if you’re training for the (postponed) Summer Olympics. What you do need to do is just do something. Self-isolation at home can make your inactive time skyrocket and that can have a huge impact on your mental and physical health. Take a few of these suggestions or create some of your own activities -- whatever you need to do to get your body moving.

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