This week, we will be discussing different ways you can exercise this winter. With the weather getting colder, this blog will mention some tips and ideas you can consider to help you stay on track with your physical activity without needing to go outside.
Yoga. According to John Hopkins Medicine, there are different benefits to practicing yoga. It helps “to improve strength, balance, and flexibility; with back pain relief; can ease arthritis symptoms; benefits heart health; and it can help manage stress.” Remember to take into consideration that there are different levels of intensity, so follow what you’re capable of doing. A nice thing about yoga is that all you need is a mat or, if you’re comfortable with it, a nicely carpeted area. You can try adding in weights or resistance bands as well to increase the intensity.
Dancing. As we have mentioned in previous blogs, dancing can be a great exercise. It’s fun and can be done with others as a group activity. There are a variety of dances that can be done so you can experiment with and look at the different types and genres. It doesn’t have to be a choreographed dance: it can just be you moving to some music. The main point is to be up and moving. Dancing can help develop your balance, coordination, and strengthen your muscles (depending on what dances you do). If you don’t know where to start, you could try looking up classes or videos online.
Online workouts. You may be surprised as to the different workouts you can find online for free. Some of them may involve equipment such as weights, resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, etc. Others can be done without equipment in an open space. Feel free to try and look for what interests you. Try taking a look at our Home Exercise Ideas and Equipment blog for some exercises you can do without exercise equipment. You could even try working with a certified personal trainer virtually to help you do home workouts safely. They would be able to guide you to do the appropriate exercises with the right equipment.
Body workouts. Some different body workouts you can do include: lunges, planks, bicycle crunches, jumping jacks, squats, push ups, etc. For these exercises, you want to make sure you go at your own speed in a comfortable form so that you don’t hurt yourself.
Stair stepping. If you have stairs in your home, try going up and down them. This can assist in exercising your muscles and bones. This can help strengthen muscles and result in an improvement in your coordination, bone density, blood circulation, strength, etc. If you don’t have steps, you can try improvising with a low footstool. However, ensure that you are careful and if need be, have something nearby that you can hold onto to help keep your balance.
One guidelines for safe physical activity as stated in the 2nd edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines on the U.S. Department of Health and and Human Services website is: “Increase physical activity gradually over time to meet key guidelines or health goals. Inactive people should “start low and go slow” by starting with lower intensity activities and gradually increasing how often and how long activities are done.” An additional safety precaution is stretching. Stretching helps your body to warm up before exercising and cool down afterwards. It can also help prevent the chances of injury, decrease muscle soreness, and improve range of motion. If it helps, try taking short breaks in-between so that you don’t tire yourself out and can recover. All in all, the main point is to be up and moving to help you prevent a sedentary lifestyle.
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
Blessing Bolomope, Student Intern
B.S. Nutrition & Food Science – Dietetics
University of Maryland, College Park | 2020