As we are amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a dire need to stay healthy and to keep our immune systems up and running. This global health crisis is far from over, and we only have ourselves to rely on in keeping our bodies safe from the virus.
Working out regularly is one healthy habit that we could commit to during the pandemic. Everyone has been required to stay at home to avoid the spread of the virus, leaving us with plenty of time to do various activities at home. A good workout can offer us many health benefits that can get us through the slump of dealing with the current pandemic.
How can you squeeze in a good workout in your schedule? You need to learn how to balance your time between work hours and home hours so that you can effectively commit to your healthy habits. How can you comfortably work out at home? Set up a conducive exercise environment to help motivate you to stay on track.
Home Gym Adjustments
If this is only the first time you have considered working out as a hobby during the pandemic, there is no judgment here. Working out can be a difficult hobby to commit to, and not having enough space or the right equipment may keep us unmotivated to even move. What can you do to adjust your home setup for a conducive home gym area?
Working out can be an embarrassing activity for some people. We wouldn’t want our neighbors or strangers to see us huffing and puffing with sweat dripping down our faces. If your home is quite open to nosy neighbors, you can improve your privacy by getting a fencing contractor to put up a privacy fence for your home. Feel free to pick what type of fence will be good for elevating your sense of privacy.
Make space for your new commitment. Whether you want to work out in a spare room, your living room, or even in your yard, the amount of space you will need will be determined by the type of workout you want to do. The amount of equipment you will be using will also determine your space. Find out what type of exercise you are most inclined to do to equip your space with the right accessories, such as a yoga mat or foam tiles.
Gradually add equipment as you go through your workout journey. There is no need to buy a lot of fancy workout equipment all at once. You can, in fact, start working out with only your body weight as your tool. Nevertheless, if you wish to add gym equipment later on, make sure you prioritize what you need and not what you think you need. You should customize your equipment because each person’s workout routine is different.
Working out should be one of your top priorities during this time because you should be focusing on keeping yourself safe and healthy. Apart from maintaining physical health, though, regular exercise has other benefits.
Importance of a Pandemic Workout
We all know that regular exercise, even before the pandemic has started, is an important part of keeping ourselves healthy but what other benefits does working out provide?
Have you been feeling down and isolated for the past several months? Many of us have been feeling the emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which involves the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during the day has been associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms.
Regular exercise can bring short-term and long-term effects on mood, sleep, and overall physical health. Try to squeeze in a good workout once or twice daily to reap the benefits of physical exercise.
If you like exercising outside, such as in your yard or your patio, there is good news for your mental health. Exposure to the sun for a few minutes every day can help produce vitamin D. This “sunshine vitamin” helps uplift your mood, which can help keep away the quarantine period blues.
Vitamin D helps fight depression and other mental health concerns because this vitamin helps produce serotonin, a hormone that elevates our mood. So the next time you are feeling down, try to work out under the sun!
Besides mood-boosting benefits, vitamin D can also help fight diseases such as the flu and heart disease. So if you plan on working out under the sun for a few minutes, you will be getting a lot of health benefits!
These benefits may seem attractive and motivating to start committing to a regular exercise regimen but working out can be a tough habit to commit to. Make sure you prepare your home gym area well to have fewer excuses to make when your workout schedule comes.
Start working out during this quarantine period so you can reap the benefits of a good sweat!
