I’ll be the first to admit that boutique fitness is a non-essential luxury, however, pre-COVID-19, a weekly class (or few) was a major part of my self-care and workout routine. The closure of all gyms and boutique fitness studios left me feeling a little lost, but also provided me with an opportunity to re-think my workout routine and try some at-home workouts that leave me with no excuse not to exercise. Here’s how I have been coping at home, with just a yoga mat and some running shoes.
Running
I’ve been on a run more times in the past two weeks than I have in the past year. It gets me (safely) out of the house and into the much needed fresh air. I typically run about 3 miles, but on two occasions now, I have ran 5 without noticing. Running has done wonders for my anxiety and has allowed me to exit my own head for a little bit. Sometimes you just need to blast some music in your headphones and go as fast as your feet can take you.
Yoga Streaming
Yoga Bliss, my favorite local yoga studio, is uploading free online classes to YouTube everyday. I try to take a class on the days I normally go to yoga in order to keep my weekly routine. It also serves as a happy reminder that in just a few short months, I’ll be back at LMU, taking yoga with my friends and favorite instructors again.
YouTube Workouts
I have found YouTube workouts really helpful, for the same reason I like workout classes so much: I struggle in coming up with a workout for myself. Two channels that I have been obsessed with are Lita Lewis’ HIIT workouts on SELF which consist of fairly easy exercises but will have you dripping sweat in no time and MadFit which has a lot of different workouts (my favorite is the ballet-inspired HIIT!). I like both Lita and Maddie because of their welcoming and encouraging energy. They also both offer modifications for almost all of the exercises they do, which makes them accessible to even bodyweight workout newbies like me.
Self-quarantine is different for everyone and it is 100% okay to feel overwhelmed and skip the workout. Personally, I have found that it helps me feel normal and create a schedule for my day. For that reason, I have been exercising almost everyday in quarantine, even if my workout for the day is just a solo bedroom dance party to One Direction.