A lot of you reading this blog are people who frequently go to the gym, like to stay active and be overall healthy. Because of everything going on right now, it’s very hard to keep up the same activities and intensity as we were doing just a couple weeks/days ago. Right now it’s not about doing the exact same thing as before but it’s about working with what we got. The world has changed drastically over the past couple weeks and is going to keep on changing. This is nothing new because the world changes every day, although now it’s on a larger scale with bigger implications. We have to do the same thing and change our routines so we can stay as healthy, fit and active as possible. Let’s get out of this situation the best that we can.

Let’s get into this, what can we all do to stay as active as possible in your daily lives.

• Go for walks

We’re not meant to be inside all day long, if we go back thousands and thousands of years you would not have seen anyone sit inside of their huts and tents all day long. It’s ingrained and programmed into our systems that we have to be outside and move for periods of time. This virus is not airborne, so as long as you keep your distance and we’re careful not to touch any surfaces we’ll be alright. Walking is such an underestimated form of exercising because the intensity is not high enough to get a sweat on, but it’s a great way for you to keep your blood pumping and your body from becoming stiff. If you want to ramp it up a little bit, throw a weighted backpack on and start walking at a brisk pace. It could be as simple a doing your grocery haul on foot ( I would recommend this anyway), if you don’t think this is

challenging, try carrying your loaded shopping bags for 20 minutes straight (your traps and grip will thank me later).

• Go for a run

It’s so simple and it brings me back to my last point, we’re made to run outside and be in nature instead of sitting outside. You don’t have to run a personal best 5k each day, it’s about moving, blood flow, sweating and getting some fresh air. If you want to run every day, mix it up. If you’re running 10 kilometers (6 miles) one day maybe try and run 5 kilometers in interval style training the next day etc.. You don’t have to run for hours on end, every bit of movement you’re getting in today is a win and will set you up for more and better things tomorrow. Besides the physical effects running is a great way of clearing your mind and coming up with new and more creative ideas. It has been scientifically proven that running has profound effect on your ability to learn, remember and come up with new solutions.

Practise Yoga/ stretching

When people think and talk about working out they’re usually overlooking the impact that yoga and stretching have on your physical health and fitness. It’s a great way for us to relieve our body of stress and tightness while we’re moving in a controlled and challenging way. Yoga and/ or stretching is not easy if you do it at the right intensity, look at it like you would look at a weightlifting session, the more you put into it the more you’re going to get out of it. The great thing about yoga and stretching is that you can tailor it to your needs. If you want to get your flexibility up, hold static poses for longer periods of time. If you want to let your body move (freely) than make it more of a flow session. The internet makes it so easy to follow a routine now a days too, so there’s really no excuse not to do it. We all know we need it.

Follow one of the million home workouts

If you have not seen at least one of the home workouts that has been released by someone over the past 2/3 weeks I think you might have been hiding under a rock (which is probably not the safest place to hide from a virus). There’s so much free content out there right now, we’re making it so easy for you to keep your fitness up. The great thing about all of these workouts being out there is that you get to pick and choose what you want to do. Usually I would discourage cherry picking your workouts but in this situation, why not do the workouts you enjoy doing. As long as you’re moving, working out and getting a sweat in you’re doing more than a lot of other people out there. Maybe you don’t need to use working out as a way of staying fit but it could simply be a way for you to get your mind off of things for 20 minutes or so. Again you don’t have to spend hours on hours working out at home, take 20 to 30 minutes to go hard, get your work in and be done with it for the day. Who knows, Maybe go for a walk afterwards.

I am posting a bodyweight only workout once a day, every day. Check it out at https://passionthroughlife.com/2020/03/24/daily-home-workout/

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