7 Tips to Stay Active at Home
Physical Therapist, Bobby, doing a boxing workout at home
A pandemic of these proportions last occurred just over 100 years ago. We are in fact living in unprecedented times. As states and countries alike have issued stay-at-home orders and closed down non-essential businesses such as gyms for the time being, many of us find ourselves home without access to our regular gym or exercise program.
As physical therapists, we recognize how important regular movement and exercise is to your overall health and the function of your body. While we’ve innovated to provide safe in-clinic treatment as well as pivoted to include virtual physical therapy sessions through telehealth services, today we are offering tips to stay active and maintain function while at home.
Why is it important to stay active?
Movement affects every function and process in your body. Lack of movement can lead to difficulty moving, stiffness and heaviness of the limbs, weakness, or pain when moving. It is important to move to maintain your ability to move and maintain function of your muscles.
Function of the Body
Staying active positively impacts your cardiovascular health, muscle development, and hormone balance. It helps the lymphatic system remove waste from the body. The movement of blood, oxygen, nutrients, and cellular energy depends on external movement of the body. Daily movement is also necessary for digestive health, has a beneficial effect on immunity, and improves quality of sleep.
Your body is built for movement. The more that you move, the better your body will function. Movement increases circulation, helps release certain hormones and cell signals, tells the body to retrieve stored energy and use it, and strengthens tissues. Engaging in weight-bearing exercise and resistance training also helps in bone formation and prevents bone loss.
Energy & Mental Health
Physical activity improves overall energy and releases endorphins that help to decrease anxiety and create a feeling of well-being. Regular exercise makes the brain’s “fight or flight” system less reactive and can reduce depressive symptoms.
Brain Health & Disease Prevention
Movement also improves brain health and function, helping to grow new neurons and slow age-related mental decline. Exercise lowers your blood pressure and boosts good cholesterol levels. Consistent physical activity helps to prevent or delay disease and prolong the length of life. Physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and some cancers (cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, stomach, kidney, and lung).
How much daily exercise should I be getting?
It is recommended that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. This translates to thirty minutes a day five times a week. It is recommended children are physically active sixty minutes a day. However, even just 10 minutes of any moderate movement is beneficial for your health.
7 Tips to Stay Active At Home
You can use your body weight to engage in weight-bearing exercise, such as push-ups, planks, crunches, and squats. You can also use household items like a gallon of milk.
Do a circuit workout at home by alternating cardio and strength exercises in short bursts (30 seconds to 3 minutes) and repeat the circuit 2 to 3 times. Cardio exercises can include jumping jacks, stair-climbing, or mountain climbers. Strength exercises include planks, crunches, lunges, squats, and wall sits.
Take breaks during the day and get outside on short walks around your neighborhood or nearby park.
Engage in a family bike ride.
Try a dance cardio or toning Pilates workout that you can access on youtube.com or fitness apps.
Get a cardio and weight-lifting workout in by doing yard work, lawn mowing, and gardening.
Don’t forget that household chores are opportunities for exercise, from walking the dog and taking the trash out to unloading the dishwasher and folding the laundry.
