Self-isolation can carry with it the burden of stagnation. Staying home all day and only leaving when essential can take a toll on our bodies as we become less likely to move around and less motivated to stay on top of taking care of ourselves both mentally and physically. Not everyone will be able to find the motivation or desire to workout on their own at home as if they were at the gym or under normal circumstances. This is understandable given the uneasy and anxious feeling many have about our current circumstances and the pandemic we find ourselves in.
While it is important to take care of ourselves and try to decompress as much as possible, I argue being active can be an effective strategy to do so. Based on my own experience, starting small with low expectations can be helpful to not become discouraged. That means knowing you will probably not be able to start off with a 30-minute High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) routine you find online and expect yourself to be able to complete it first try. Even just 10 minutes a day of stretching is helpful to get blood flowing and our bodies working.
Here are a few YouTube workouts that I’ve enjoyed during the first few weeks of isolation.
- Stretching/Yoga
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Simple exercises with intention such as when we stretch or practice yoga moves have a great way of letting us practice breathing and calm. No matter if you are a beginner or an expert, these are great ways to practice mindfulness and become more in tune with what your body can do. Take this time in self-isolation to increase your flexibility, muscle strength while needing no other equipment than your own body and a mat or towel.
Check out YouTube videos to find different kinds of stretching/yoga routines with different lengths. A great channel with many videos to choose from is Yoga with Adrienne, who has videos for beginners and experts alike.
Yoga with Adriene’s Bed-Time Routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7SN-d4qXx0&list=PLui6Eyny-UzwmsJ9vILet4TJwqcINCz4j
Yoga with Adriene’s Flexibility Practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzm3fA2HhkQ
- Barre
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A new type of workout that I decided to try during self-isolation was barre. It needs little to no equipment and is a great way to push yourself with just bodyweight exercises. Barre is inspired by ballet-style workouts that target muscles with small range movements with influences from yoga, Pilates and strength training. It is a great option to push your own flexibility and balance in ways you never thought to workout before. It also contributes to building a stronger core which is excellent for any other type of workout you may be doing. Again, starting with shorter routines with breaks might be necessary to help build up to longer routines which push muscles even harder.
There are many great YouTube channels to pick from, but a favourite of mine is Coach Kel. This instructor has a great variety of medium to longer length videos which are challenging but straight-forward.
Coach Kel’s 30-minute Barre Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lXiGW6VqUo&t=3s
Selena Gomez’s Barre Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd8pDgK-HhQ
- Weight/Resistance Training
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If you are like me and miss the weights section at the gym, consider trying some workouts with either bodyweight or 1-2 kettlebells or dumbells to keep your muscles and body engaged while having limited space and equipment. Weight training can be combined with HIIT-style circuit training to get you sweating without needing to commit to an hour-long workout. Whether you prefer low or high impact exercise, there are many options available for you to target every part of your body.
An excellent YouTuber with lots of great bodyweight or minimal weight videos is MadFit. She does everything from resistance band booty workouts to cool down stretching routines.
MadFit’s 15-Minute Full Body Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86KafFNA95E
MadFit’s 2 in 1 Abs and Booty Routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smsxDlpGE9k
I hope these suggestions give you a place to start with your at-home workouts.