January 2022
Staying active during the winter has always been challenging! While many local gyms are open with social-distancing requirements if you’re looking to stay close to home, working out requires more creative solutions.
To give you a hand (and help you keep your 2022 fitness resolutions) we rounded up a few ways you can stay active at home this season. From local virtual classes to active video games and rigorous chores, you’ll find information and tips on them all below. Have a great workout!
Participate in an Online Workout
One of the best things about living in the 21st century is all the amazing innovations that have come from the Internet! While you used to have to rent or purchase physical fitness tapes for your VCR or DVD player, today you can access millions of easy and free workouts on your phone, TV or computer. There are plenty of apps and YouTube channels that you can access with just a few clicks. We personally love the Pelaton, Aaptive, Fitbit and Nike Training Club apps. But if you’d rather keep your working out local (while also staying safe!) many local gyms have started offering online workouts and workout classes over the past year!
Try an Active Video Game
If you’re looking to actually stick to a workout routine this year, try to make it as fun as possible! We have been loving all of the amazing game-ified workouts that have come out over the past few years. From Oculus Quest games to Nintendo Switch’s Ring Fit, these exciting aerobic games will have you working all sorts of muscle groups without even realizing it while you dance, defeat spooky enemies, play virtual tennis and more.
Get Active While Watching TV
We don’t know about you, but we’ve been watching a lot of TV lately! While bingeing classic television shows has become a source of comfort for many over the past year, it doesn’t always bode well for our activity level. But there are plenty of ways to get active while also enjoying your favorite TV content—including these fun themed workouts from Buzzfeed! This list has plenty of fun workouts themed around shows, encouraging to you to get up and moving while perusing Netflix. From Gossip Girl to Friends to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there’s an exciting workout for whatever you’re #currentlywatching.
Clean Your House
Over the past year, our homes have really become the background of our lives. For many, it is no longer just a place to relax and sleep, it is now an office, a classroom, a restaurant, a bar, a gym and more. And all that living sure does make a mess! But what if we told you that you could get a workout in AND tidy up your living space at the same time? If you really put some elbow grease into cleaning, you can burn just as many calories as going to the gym. Dusting can burn more than 109 calories a session; vacuuming can burn more than 96; and shoveling snow tones your arm, abs and back and can burn nearly 200 calories. Talk about a two–for–one!
Give Your Pets Some Extra Love
If you have a cat or a dog, you can actually get a small workout in just by playing with them! Take your dog on an extra-long walk in the afternoon. Or spend half an hour running back and forth across a dog park or your backyard. If you have a cat, invest in a string-toy that will have them chasing you as you pull it along the floor in your home. You could even think about leash training them and taking them out on a nice day (when there isn’t snow on the ground, of course!).
Walk Around While on the Phone
Because we haven’t been able to see many of our loved ones over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time on the phone and video chatting on Zoom. But while we usually use that time to stretch out on our couches or beds, you can actually get a nice walk in as you chat! It could be as simple as a leisurely stroll around your home, your apartment complex or even your neighborhood. Not only will it help you stay active, but it could also help you stay more connected to the loved ones you miss so much.
Invest in Some New Workout Equipment
If fitness is your new favorite quarantine hobby, maybe it’s time to invest in your own fitness machine like a treadmill, a stationary bike or rowing machine! Head to a local fitness equipment store to pick up your brand new (or used!) equipment.
Get Creative With Resistance Exercise
If you’d rather not invest in new workout equipment, there are still plenty of household items you can get creative with! To replicate a traditional barbell squat, try a broom; in lieu of box jumps, try your stairs; instead of dumbbells, try using heavy soup cans; and for core exercises, you can use bags of rice or beans.
Blast Some Music and Dance Around
When all else fails, keep it simple! There’s nothing more fun than blasting some music and dancing around your house. Not only is it a great workout, but it’s a fantastic way to bond with your family. We recommend just turning a Spotify playlist and going to town, but if you really want to get into it, why not try one of the trendy Tik Tok dances that have been making the rounds over the past year? Here’s a handy article from The Cut that will outline the most popular dances and teach you and your family exactly how to do them.
