“Depending on your fitness level, people can just use their own body weight to work out.” – Alyson Keogh, Senior Physiotherapist at Remedy Healthcare.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s never been more important for people to keep up a consistentexercise routine.
And while motivation might be hard sometimes, with a lot of uncertainty and stress for many people, it’s crucial for your physical and mental health to stay active.
Exercise can improve our overall health. It can also lower our levels of stress, giving us a much-needed break from worry and anxiety.
But with social distancing measures in place, we might have to be a little more creative when it comes to staying the course with our physical fitness.
Alyson Keogh, Senior Physiotherapist at Remedy Healthcare, says there are a range of options for people, including doing at-home fitness classes via streaming or video link.
“If you were previously attending classes at a gym, access their online courses if they are providing them, or even find some online videos that are similar to the activities that you were performing prior to COVID-19,” Alyson says. “You can also find some activities that still maintain social distancing eg:, table tennis, walking and bike riding, and hiking.”
Setting up for exercise at home
Working out at home isn’t as difficult as you might think either.
If you’re working from home you’re likely to havemore flexibility, so use that to your benefit. Schedule some workout time before and/or after work, with no commute to and from the gym and the office you’ve got a lot more time to get your heart pumping!
You don’t need a ton of space to get set up – even a small dedicated space in your garage will be enough for you to be able to lie down, jump and run on the spot if need be.
And you certainly don’t need a lot of fancy or expensive gym gear either.
“Depending on your fitness level, people can just use their own body weight to work out,” Alyson says. “They can do squats, push-ups, lunges, and triceps dips easily, or you can purchase a few weights. And you only need just enough room so you can perform the techniques without hitting objects around you.”
Alyson says a basic workout that consists of a warm-up, followed by exercises that include things like sit-to-stand, wall sits, animal crawls, core workouts, skipping, burpees, boxing, and running drills will provide an ideal mix of aerobic and resistance training.
Exercise for older people
Social distancing has been paramount to protect seniors, who are more susceptible to the serious effects of COVID-19.
But there are still lots of different ways for the elderly to maintain physical activity.
If it is safe to do so, Alyson says getting outside and just going for a walk in your area or retirement community can be extremely beneficial.
“Add some extra walks inside your home – at the same time every day – to create a routine and habit that you can stick to,” Alyson says. “Also, if you have one, make sure you keep performing your exercise program that has been set by your physiotherapist.”
In addition, Alyson suggests that people continue to maintain outdoor activities like gardening to keep up their physical and mental wellbeing.
Disclaimer: Remedy Healthcare Group Pty Limited and Australian Unity Health Limited are wholly owned subsidiaries of Australian Unity Limited.
Information provided in this article is not medical advice and you should consult with your healthcare practitioner. Australian Unity accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions, advice, representations or information contained in this publication. Readers should rely on their own advice and enquiries in making decisions affecting their own health, wellbeing or interest.
