By Brad Morris, Brand Specialist
In times like these, exercising and staying active are more important than ever. A lot of us are stuck at home, and staying active is one of the best tools we have to keep a good mood.
Of course, these circumstances bring their own problems: like I said, most of us are stuck inside. While Governor Parson’s order allows us to go outside for outdoor activities, any exercise partner you have will have to maintain social distancing, and some might not even feel comfortable going outside for long anyway.
Another issue is exercise equipment: you can’t get any. At the time of writing, most equipment is out of stock (except at inflated prices) or backordered.
So, assuming the worst-case scenario, that you’re stuck inside with no exercise equipment, you’re going to have to rely on your best exercise tool available – your body.
If you’re just starting with home exercise, I want to remind you, as always, to listen to your body. If you can speak with your doctor, whether on the phone or whatever means, it’s great to get your doctor’s input before starting physical activity, but if you can’t, always listen to your body.
Pushups, squats and sit-ups are your best friend and will help your keep your muscles or even develop them. It’s common to struggle with these exercises, especially pushups and sit-ups, since they use so many muscle groups. Only do as many as you’re comfortable with and try to work up from there. You can even look up online how to modify them, such as doing push-ups with your knees on the ground. You won’t get the full benefits, but you can build some of the muscle groups to work your way up to doing the real thing.
Of course, social contact is something we normally advocate for at the Y. We’ve seen many success stories begin because someone had a gym buddy. There’s really not a perfect solution, but Y-USA has their YMCA 360 exercise videos, and Les Mills, a company dedicated to fitness, also has some online exercise videos. These are great no-cost resources if you’d like a little company to talk you through the exercises.
Both of those options are linked on our website, joplinfamilyy.org, underneath online fitness in the Fitness and Classes tab (or on our homepage carousel). Again, these are available at no cost to you and have a variety of programs that will be great for anyone beginning to exercise at home.
We hope you’re taking care during these times and following CDC recommendations to stay healthy. I know being outside can be anxious for many people, but even a few minutes in the sunlight with proper social distancing can do wonders for health and mental wellbeing.
Our staff and instructors are missing our community and hope everyone is doing well. Stay strong, and keep the faith!