5 Ways to Stay Active at Home During Lockdown
Here are a few of the ways you can keep moving indoors when you can’t get out and about as much as you’d like.
1: ADD RHYTHM TO RECIPES
Mash, stir, crush, mix, chop, blend, whisk and beat by hand at every opportunity.
Get in the groove and spice up the mix with some music. Make your feet a part of the action with your favourite dance tunes.
Go back to the basics by baking your own bread. Not only will it taste a whole lot better and fresher, kneading the dough is a real upper body workout and calorie burner. A substantial amount of arm strength and energy is required.
Stretch, pull, push and fold the dough for a good ten minutes. When the dough can be stretched without tearing, you have come to the end of your work out.
Now put your feet up, while the dough doubles in size. Finally, pop in the oven for thirty minutes. Voila!
2: WALK THE TALK
If you’re someone who enjoys walking, don’t let the fact you are spending more time indoors stop you hitting your steps target.
The next time you are on the phone to family or friends, walk as you talk. You can walk on the spot or take a leisurely stroll around your home whilst you chat.
Make strides from the kitchen to the bathroom, making sure you visit all the rooms in between. Go the scenic route by taking in the views from every window.
For company, why not invite a friend to go on a walk with you on Face Time?
Over the phone ‘home-trekking’ isn’t as crazy as it sounds, it will keep you moving and connected. Keeping in touch with the outside world is a good way to keep your mental health in check.
This might also be an opportunity to make a note of any extra cleaning that may need doing. A dusty corner you could have missed.
3: CLEAN IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Transform boring household chores and cleaning tasks into calorie burning fun.
Music always makes for better exercise sessions so turn up your tunes before you begin. No slow numbers allowed.
Vacuum cleaner lunges strengthen leg muscles. Take large steps, bending the leg and simultaneously flexing the rear leg until the knee is just a few inches off the ground. Alternate between the left and right leg.
Perform perfect squats when picking up heavy objects. Separate legs and keep them aligned with your hips. Bend the knees as you go down and remember to keep your back straight.
Forward bends are an alternative to squats. Knees slightly bent and the legs open and aligned with the hips, move the torso forward with your hands reaching towards the floor until you feel a pleasant lengthening of the spine. To protect your back, this exercise is only suitable for picking up light objects.
Stretch further whilst dusting. Dust with one hand while keeping the other lifted up, extending all the muscles and contracting your abdominal.
This is only a lifestyle approach to physical activity. Whatever you do needs to make you out of breath or sweaty to count as moderate or vigorous activity.
But any activity is always better than none!
4: STRETCH YOUR MIND
As well as staying physically active, keeping mentally active is also important.
The Pembury Tavern Virtual Pub Quiz is one way to help keep your mind switched on and a chance for social interaction – something we’re all missing.
Quizes are held on-line every Monday at 7pm. Winners of this weekly virtual pub quiz get a discount on the Pembury’s web store. There’s a £2 entry fee, which will be donated to a local charity.
A recent Harvard study on cognitive fitness found that solving problems like Sudoku, maths equations and word puzzles all helped to maintain mental positivity and sharpness.
Think on.
5: EVERYONE NEEDS A BREAK
A lot of us will be working from home during this lockdown.
To make it easier on mind and body it’s important to get up, have a stretch and a walk around from time to time.
Take regular tea and coffee breaks. It’s the perfect time to catch up with partners and housemates on household gossip.
If you often become so engrossed in your work that you lose track of time. Try setting an alarm for every hour.
Remember to warm-up before any strenuous activity, the last thing you would want is to pull a muscle whipping up a brownie mix.
Always remember to stay hydrated during the day, and drink plenty of fluids before, during and after any physical activity!
