In a time when many people around the globe are in lockdown and unable to attend the gym, emphasis has been placed on home exercising. Fears of a sedentary life and piling on the pounds are forcing many to find novel ways to move the body and stretch their muscles. You don't need to pump iron or have expensive equipment like rowing and cycling machines to help you stay fit.

 

Exercising is not just important for your body, but also your mind. A study by Dr. Andrea Dunn at the Cooper Research Institute in Dallas, Texas found patients who did daily 35-minute walks per week experienced a 47% reduction in their depression levels.

 

Cardiovascular exercise, often simply called cardio, is designed to keep your heart rate up, which in turn will strengthen your heart and improve your general fitness. Many of us are turning to activities like skipping with an old rope, or watching one of the many 'fitness experts' who produce exercise videos online.

 

Walking is another great aerobic¹ activity to help you increase your blood circulation. There are many affordable² pedometers which can be worn like a watch and used to track your steps, heart rate, sleeping patterns and even your blood oxygenation levels. You don't even have to step outside, with many simply power walking or jogging round there gardens or up and down their hallways.

 

Practising yoga or Tai Chi can help to keep our bodies supple³, which in turn can lower joint⁴ pain and help to protect us from injury. Finally, strength and resistance training can be done at home by simply lifting bags of rice or boxes instead of heavy weights in the gym.

 

There are many ways to help us stay mobile, and indeed these online exercise routines can be carried over in our lives long after lockdown is lifted. For those of us who moan about our busy lives stopping us from hitting the gym, ten minutes a day with a rope or a bag of rice may not only help our fitness, but our mental health too.

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