Five Ways to Help Establish Positive At-Home Workout Habits
It can be challenging to stay motivated to get a full workout without leaving home. Routines have been upended because of the COVID-19 pandemic so it’s important to find new and creative ways to get your heart rate up and blood pumping. Here are five ideas that will help you stay healthy and fit while your usual workout routine isn’t possible.
- Go Virtual. Each morning, try a new online class and see what works best for you. Your local gym or YouTube are both great places to find a variety of video workouts. Many of the classes available are free, too! You may not need equipment or much space, so it’s easy to incorporate these exercise while at home.
- Bundle It. Make it fun; pick something you look forward to and pair it with your workout. For example, you could save your favorite podcast for when you run or listen to your favorite playlist while doing living room aerobics! Research shows that bundling things you want to do with things you should do helps you stick to your routine.
- Try Something New. If you’re working from home, use the time you used to spend commuting to try a new exercise routine. Since you’re already used to getting up early you might as well use that time to get a head start on fitness! You’ll have a bigger block of free time after work, too!
- Plan It Out. Pick a time that works for you every day. Then go for a half-hour walk, run, or bike ride. You can even split it between morning and night! Just make sure you stay six feet away from others. Planning helps us follow through on our goals. Say when, where, and what you’re going to do for exercise. That makes you much more likely to do it. Exercising at the same time every day also makes it easier to start a habit.
- Be Active. Things like musical chairs make exercise seem fun! Grab the kitchen chairs, some tunes, and your family for a fun-filled game that will get your blood pumping. Making exercise a game can turn a chore into the highlight of your day. Doing it with your family adds quality time too!
About The Centene Center for Health Transformation
The Centene Center for Health Transformation™ is a community-corporate-academic healthcare partnership that advances life-centric health research to improve lives so that communities can thrive. For more information regarding the Centene Center for Health Transformation, visit https://www.centenecenter.wustl.edu.