Most of the world has been spending as much time indoors as possible after the outbreak of the corona virus. Staying indoors naturally leads to sedentary habits such as long hours on phones, binge-watching Netflix, sleeping in late, video gaming, and just plain sitting around. This can become a concern for many as a drop physical activity can quickly retaliate in the form of extra pounds. With most gyms closed how can one stay fit from home? It takes sheer will and resourcefulness. Here is how you can stay fit from home!
First of all, clear out a space for working out in your home. It can be the living room, a corner of your bedroom, or even your garage. Clean out the area and move everything aside to create a clear space that you can return to for your workouts. It is generally recommended to exercise at least an hour every day. If you ask me that is a small commitment to make when it comes to your body, image, and health. Many people are working from home, so naturally they would be busy. But plan out your schedule and fit in that one hour somewhere. It can be in the morning, evening, or even late at night. Make it in a time slot that is sustainable to upkeep. Now that you have established a space and a time, it is now time to focus on what you actually want to do. There are hundreds upon hundreds of different exercises out there. You do not have to do the most common ones that you find boring. There truly is something for everyone.
Go on youtube and browse through workout videos. You can browse by niche such as yoga, pilates, cardio, weight training, HIIT, and even dance. Dance tends to be the most popular for beginners. It is fun and easy, but most of all it doesn't feel like a chore. I would recommend picking out a video for some stretches or yoga to begin with, then transition to a video targeting problem areas like arms or abs, then pick a video for some light weight training, and finally a video for some cardio. Try to make a workout plan that lasts an hour. You can pick and choose the moves you like from the videos. It is all customizable and up to you. It is good to hit the whole body and different areas so there is no lag in a certain area.
If you are someone who has a really hard time committing to a workout, start off by choosing something that doesn't feel like a workout. A great solution for this is investing in Just Dance. If you don't already know, Just Dance is a series of video games made for the Wii, WiiU, Xbox Kinect, and PlayStation. It is a very popular dance game in which you follow choreographies to popular songs and are rated on your performance in stars. You get to level up, unlock bonuses, play challenges, and so on. Many people have gaming consoles. If you do, look into Just Dance. This can help many get that cardio in.
After you have established a workout routine, stick to it and keep it relegated to its assigned time slot. The key is to not pick out super challenging workout from the get go. Start easy and every few weeks when your current workout is not giving you the burn anymore, you can revamp it by swapping it out for new tougher moves. The goal is to build up towards the tougher exercises not burn yourself out in the start. Another key tip is to play music or watch a tv show when you are exercising. It helps distract the mind from the burn and intensity of the routine. You'd be surprised at how much you'll get done with a side distraction.
Now moving away from the workout aspect of fitness, it is time to assess food intake. With many at home, it has become very easy to just order in food all the time. This is a bad habit that needs to stop. This habit alone has contributed so heavily the obesity crisis in America. Fast food and take out foods are very unhealthy. They have high fat contents, insane amounts of calories, and are drenched in oils. Many fitness experts say that food makes up 80% and exercise makes up 20% of fitness. That is very true. If you are eating highly caloric meals, it doesn't matter how long you exercise, you will not be able to burn it off. First, you must determine the correct caloric intake for you. There are many calorie calculators online that make you enter your age, height, gender, weight, and activity levels. Use a few of these calculators to get a good sense of the average caloric intake right for you.
Now it is time to formulate a meal plan that fits those parameters. Calories aren't the only component to be concerned with. Depending on body type and goals, protein and carb intake may be altered too. Youtube and apps like Buzzfeed Tasty have many recipes for quick meals. There are many delicious recipes as well, healthy eating does not have to be lackluster. There are plenty of delicious and nutritious options. Many people tend to meal prep at the start of the week where they make meals for each day and store it in tupperware in the fridge. While this is a quick and effective hack for time bound people, it is not the best option to take. It is better than ordering in fast food or takeout, but eating stored food made days ago is not fresh and not the optimal source of fuel you want to be providing for your body. It is better to cook everyday and meal prep the healthy snacks for the week instead. Healthy cookies or brownies can be made in advance but actual meals like salads, rice, pastas, and all meat options especially, should be made the day of consumption.
Try to fit in cooking one big meal for the day. A big pot of a certain meal can suffice throughout the day. Plus, you will have the meal prepped snacks from before. You can incorporate fruits and veggies in various little snack ideas as well. You can always make smoothies and milkshakes to curb hunger as well. There are many quick and healthy options for meals. It just takes a bit of effort and planning. Once you have gotten into the habit of it, it will just feel like a normal routine. If you love fast food and cannot give it up, think of investing into an air fryer. You can make traditional fast food items in it with little to no oil. The hot air in the machine does all the frying. You can basically enjoy oil-less fast food. It really can't get better than that!
All of this takes a bit of planning and effort in the start but it will become habit quickly. When it does, your body will thank you and you will begin to see the results. Its not about trying crazy workout routines or going on crash diets, its about forming a sustainable lifestyle of movement and eating that you can work into your schedule and maintain. Lets use this period of isolation to come out looking and feeling like our best selves.
Thank You For Reading,
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