With all the gyms closed, including our Harper Gym, people are looking to alternative ways of exercising and keeping fit. Keeping fit during these uncertain times is not only good for your physical health, but it also has positive impacts on your mental health.
Fitting in a regular workout nowadays is hard, with the gyms all being closed and even some larger parks where you once used to get your sweat on! If you were an active gymgoer before lockdown then you’ll be looking for some form of exercise to do whilst cooped up in your house! We’ve put together some workout idea’s for you with the names of the best free online coaches to help you out!
Walking – If you’re not a massive fan of exercise, why not take some time out of your day to go for a light walk. Even if it’s only 10 minutes, build yourself up each day. You could always stick in your headphones and listen to some music or a podcast while you walk.
Running – Running is a great way to exercise, one that gets you outside in the fresh air. There are plenty of apps out there for running enthusiasts. Push yourself to go further each week and track your progress with one of the many fitness apps such as MapMyRun and Strava.
Yoga – Yoga is not only a great form of exercise to work your core and flexibility, but it is also one of the more relaxing methods of exercise. If you want to try Yoga, check out 30 days of Yoga with Adrienne and learn everything from Yoga poses to stretching exercises.
Cycling – It seems that bike rides have become a popular form of exercise for most people, with stores such as Halfords and Argos selling out. Not only is this a popular form of exercise, but it’s also great fun to share with family and friends! If you want to get serious about cycling you can always try using Strava to track your progress.
Home HIIT Workouts – High-intensity interval training (HIIT) according to scientists and fitness experts is one of the most effective forms of exercise for weight loss. HIIT exercises can be done anywhere for any length of time. There are currently several free HIIT workouts on Youtube, including Joe Wicks Workouts and Mr and Mrs Muscle.
Home weight workouts – If you’ve got weights at home, then great, doing weight training at home will be a lot easier for you! However, if you don’t have access to any weights at home, there are ways of finding alternatives. For example, using full wine bottles, bags filled with items, anything lying around that you can get your hands on that has a bit of weight to it.
In these uncertain times it’s important to remain positive and to work on yourself. Take these difficult times as a chance to improve your fitness and push your body.