As the danger of going to public places continues to rise, the general population has found ways to adapt to the changes by learning and working from home. And because the majority of gyms are closed to lower the chances of contracting the coronavirus, the shift to exercising from home has popularized as well. Due to this, it’s important to explore the structural and virtual resources available.
Quarantining has resulted in inactivity, a crucial factor in a host of public health issues. Exercise is one of the ways to ensure a strong immune system. According to MedlinePlus, exercise causes antibodies or white blood cells to circulate more rapidly and detect illnesses earlier than they might have before. However, without a gym or professional equipment to rely on, creative solutions are imperative.
Individuals can use resistance bands, water bottles or even their own body weight to replace gym equipment. They can even utilize structures at home. For example, running up and down the stairs is an excellent cardiovascular workout, activating blood flow throughout the body. Wall-sits, standing push-ups, planks and yoga routines are also workouts that don’t require additional equipment.
It is important to acknowledge that, depending on living circumstances, it may be harder to manage education and exercise in a singular space or stay motivated to create workout solutions at home.
However, building up goals with smaller benchmarks and changing up the location of workouts within the house can provide the needed variance. People who gain motivation by working out with others can do so over video calls.
There are also various YouTube channels, such as Sarah Beth Yoga, Chloe Ting or POPSUGAR Fitness as well as fitness applications like The Daily Workouts and Nike Training Club that guide through sessions ranging from Zumba dancing to high-intensity workouts. The benefit of these online resources is that with minimal equipment and an indoor set-up, individuals can be guided through focused sessions with an element of choice.
Working out is never easy, and the indoor restraints don’t help. However, with a bit of creativity and resourcefulness, the shift from outdoor to indoor doesn’t have to be as drastic.
Article by Rio Guttierez of John F. Kennedy High School
Edited by Arts and Culture Editor Vainavi Ghambir