Want to Stay Active at Home? Here are some great exercise alternatives to the gym!

stay active at home

Working out from home has it's advantages...

The quarantines over COVID-19 have us all changing our routines in lots of ways. How we shop, where we eat, how we spend recreational time- for most, there isn’t a single way, for better or worse, our lifestyles haven’t changed. This includes getting to the gym or exercise classes.

Luckily there is a host of resources out there available to us in a variety of platforms that support staying active at home. The best part? Many of them are free! If you have the internet (or if you don’t), you’ve got everything you need to get some quality exercise at home. 

From kids to seniors, from seasoned athletes to those with limited mobility or who are fighting obesity- and anyone in-between, here are some of our web-picks for at-home exercise:

  • BeFiT. BeFit is a dizzying array of exercise videos, nutritional information, and general wellness tips. Enter “senior workouts” in the search bar on the site, and you’ll immediately find a wellspring of videos by none- other than the original fitness guru, Jane Fonda herself. Want something for the kids? Search “kids workout,” and you’ll be greeted immediately with a fun yoga video for children. There are more challenging workouts from celebrity fitness experts, and a segment called “health hacks” by celebrity trainer Thomas DeLauer. They’ve even got Richard Simmons! You’re guaranteed a good time here. 
  • HASfit. This channel has great workouts for seniors, and for those with limited mobility or obesity. The instructors are fun, knowledgeable, and encouraging. There’s also high-intensity workouts for cardio, strength training, and interval training if you’re up to it.
  • Melissa Wood Health. If you’re looking for an integrated approach to exercise and health, Melissa Wood is a whole-health inspiration. Her channel not only has excellent pilates and yoga workouts, but tips on nutrition, beauty, and meditation. It’s also entertaining- she gives a glimpse into her daily (hectic!) life as a mother. It’s a thoroughly useful channel for a holistic approach to wellness. 
  • Launchpad Workouts. Launchpad is a fantastic program for those struggling against obesity or those with limited mobility. Workouts are led by Rob G.- a formerly-500-pounds force for motivation leading the way to better health for everyone. It’s a truly inspired labor of love- and the best part? Even though the program itself costs money (it’s very reasonable at $10 a month), everything you need is already at home. A chair, items for resistance training such as canned goods, pillows, and waterjugs, and your body are all you need. Each workout is designed around making slow but sure progress, a little at a time, at a comfortable pace. 
  • Daily Burn. Daily burn is another subscription-based program aimed at home-workouts. Its programs may be targeted at those who already have a higher level of fitness, but it has a range of classes as well. Its high-intensity interval training is designed to make you sweat! 

You don’t have to subscribe to a website or a YouTube channel to get some exercise at home, of course. There are all kinds of free resources you can find online with a quick google search available to help, and there are countless free apps out there as well. 

If you invest in any home exercise equipment, we recommend exercise bands for the top of the list. They improve strength, mobility, range of motion, flexibility, and even balance and stability. At NCO, we carry TheraBand exercise bands for at-home exercise. We also have a few blogs on our site detailing some things you can do to keep fit at home as well if you care to peruse. 

If you still can’t take advantage of any of these suggestions, there’s always the good old-fashioned way. If you don’t have home-exercise equipment, get bursts of cardio by walking the stairs in your house (if you have them), doing some jumping jacks, or jogging in place. Good old fashioned push-ups, crunches, lunges, and squats are always a good way to get your heart rate up as well and break a sweat. 

When all else fails, do some housework! Mopping, vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing- it’s all great for breaking a sweat. 

We hope some of these suggestions will work for you. Who knows, you may find something you like better than the gym anyway! 

The suggestions here are just that- suggestions. Always consult a healthcare professional when trying a new exercise routine. The programs listed above are diverse, and it’s important to make sure to follow the one that’s right for you!