​Staying fit while staying socially distant

The country may slowly be reopening, but many of us will still be spending a great deal of time in our homes. But even if we’re avoiding the gym, there are still plenty of ways we can stay fit.

Why is exercise important?

Exercise has many benefits, both physical and mental. Not only does it keep our muscles toned and helps us burn fat, but it also helps keep our immune systems strong, which is very important during a pandemic. Exercise has also been known to help improve your mood, which is very important in a situation where depression and anxiety can feel overwhelming.

While any exercise is better than none, it’s recommended you get 20-30 minutes a day.

Simple activities you can do

If you’re working from home, or you’re binging your favorite show on Netflix, you could find yourself sitting for long stretches of time. Take a break every 20 minutes or so to stand up for a minute and walk around. If it’s practical, set up a standing desk. If your house has stairs, or you live in an apartment building, three 20-second fast stair climbs a day will help your muscle tone and overall fitness.

Stretch

Whether you’re doing yoga or just some basic stretches first thing in the morning, stretching is a good way to keep your joints and muscles limber. And if you do want to try yoga, great! Yoga is fantastic not only for stretching and building muscle tone, but it forces you to concentrate on your breathing and helps relax you.

Take a walk

If you have a dog, you have a great excuse to go out for a walk every day. Even if you don’t, you should still try to make a point of going outside and taking a lap or two around your neighborhood. The fresh air and the exercise are a great way to get some exercise and help release some of the stress and energy that might be building up from spending all day indoors. Just make sure to maintain proper social distancing from other people with the same idea.

Workout videos

Whether you’re playing something from YouTube or digging out the exercise videos you bought for a new year’s resolution, workout videos are an ideal way to get a serious workout done in a small space. The exercises are designed for you to do while watching TV, so you don’t need a lot of room or extra equipment. Plus, working out with someone else, even someone on a screen, is a good way to stay motivated and make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly.

Other quick, short exercises

Pushups, sit-ups, crunches, lunges, they’re all exercises you can do in just a few minutes and with only a little bit of space. Next time you have five idle minutes, do a few exercises instead of scrolling through your social media.

At CEENTA, we want you to be both safe and healthy as much as possible. You take care of a healthy diet and exercise, then come to us for an in-person or virtual visit appointment and we’ll take care of your eyes, ears, noses, and throats.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. If you would like to make an in-person or virtual visit appointment with a CEENTA doctor, call 704-295-3000. You can also schedule an appointment online or through myCEENTAchart.