Staying Active at Home
All around the world, people are having to ‘stay home’ to assist in the fight against coronavirus or COVID19.
Staying physically active during self-isolation can seem daunting if you are new to exercise, unfamiliar with self-directed exercise, or limited by your access to the outdoors.
At WHEN we encourage regular, enjoyable movement and physical activity no matter what your circumstances. As such, we have put some ideas and suggestions together to help you stay active during isolation.
The bare minimum
Australia’s national exercise guidelines outline how much physical activity adults need to stay healthy. They suggest a minimum of 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity activity per week.
However, this doesn’t have to occur in one block. In fact, shorter, more frequent workouts can be even more beneficial.
On top of this, the Australian guidelines also recommend doing muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week; generally 15-20 minutes is enough.
Continuity and accountability are important; however, many of us are juggling lots of different balls at the moment.
Be kind to yourself and remember if some days exercise doesn’t make it into your day, let it go. Tomorrow is always an opportunity to ‘begin again.’
Exercise outdoors if you can
Where possible, try to find time in your day to get outside and move (just remember all the hygiene and social distancing advice). Outdoor physical activity has been shown to provide greater benefits in mental health compared to indoor activity.
Even better, try and include time in nature with your outdoor activity as this has been shown to further improve mental and physical wellbeing.
We realise this may not be an available option to everyone who is having to self- isolate, but if it is an option for you, it is well worth making the effort to get outside and spend some time in nature.
Sit less!
Taking regular breaks (every 20-30 minutes) from sitting at your desk, computer or screen, is crucial for good health. Get up and go for a walk around the house or your garden, or spend time playing with your pet or child.
Even just taking a few minutes to stand up and do some stretches or some gentle rotations of the spine will improve your posture, and probably your mood.
These short breaks will make a difference to your health and improve eye strain. If you don’t want to stop your work, consider a desk that will allow you to alternate between sitting and standing.
Use the stairs
A study by researchers at McMaster University found that stair climbing can greatly improve your heart health. In the study they found that as little as three, 20-second fast stair climbs, (10 minutes total including warm up and cool down) three times a week a day can improve fitness.
For those of you who have stairs available within or outside your home and are in good health without injuries, stair climbs are a great way to fit in short bursts of exercise.
If you are unsure if you have a condition or injury which might make stair climbs unsafe, check in with a health or exercise professional first.
Remember body weight exercise sessions are important
Resistance and weight-based exercises are well-proven to provide significant health benefits. No need for weights, you can just use your own body weight!
Good examples of lower leg exercises using your body weight include
Squats
Calf raises (holding on to a bench or back of the chair for support if needed)
Single leg lunges (try putting the front foot flat on a full ream of printer paper)
For the upper body, you can use two equal sized cans of food as your weights or try doing push-ups leaning against a wall or against a sturdy frame such as your kitchen bench. Aim for 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps of each exercise.
Consider High Intensity Incidental Physical Activity
We’ve written about this elsewhere (The New Science Behind Exercise) but one way of breaking up your exercise routine is to include High Intensity Incidental Physical Activity or HIIPA.
This is any activity throughout your day that gets your heart rate and breathing up enough to boost your fitness.
Many daily tasks can be classified as ‘high intensity’ physical activity; the kind of activity that gets you out of breath enough to boost your fitness.
Washing your car, taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking or riding to your next appointment, or house cleaning are all examples of activity that can be used as HIIPA.
Just 10 minutes a day can have a significant impact on your overall health and fitness.
The fun activities!
Dancing is a great way to keep fit! You could convince an iso-buddy to dance with you, or simply crank up the music and dance in your living room and enjoy the fact that no one is watching!
Playing with your pets or children is also great for your mental and physical health! Kicking a ball, playing catch, jumping on the trampoline, creating an obstacle course in the backyard with objects or chalk, or creating a scavenger hunt are all great ways you can be physically active and reap the benefits of play too.
Finally, if you’re new to exercise, start with small, achievable goals. Begin with 10 minutes a day, then gradually build up.
If you’re not feeling well or are unsure of whether a certain type of movement or exercise is right for you, touch base with a health professional and stay safe.
REFERENCES
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. AUSTRALIA’S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR GUIDELINES AND THE AUSTRALIAN 24-HOUR MOVEMENT GUIDELINES. (ONLINE). AVAILABLE AT: HTTPS://WWW1.HEALTH.GOV.AU/INTERNET/MAIN/PUBLISHING.NSF/CONTENT/HEALTH-PUBHLTH-STRATEG-PHYS-ACT- GUIDELINES ACCESSED ON APRIL 20TH 2020.
GLADWELL VF, BROWN DK, WOOD C, SANDERCOCK GR, BARTON JL. THE GREAT OUTDOORS: HOW A GREEN EXERCISE ENVIRONMENT CAN BENEFIT ALL. EXTREM PHYSIOL MED. 2013;2(1): PUBLISHED 2013 JAN 3. DOI:10.1186/2046-7648-2-3
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY. "RESEARCHERS FIND BRIEF, INTENSE STAIR CLIMBING IS A PRACTICAL WAY TO BOOST FITNESS." SCIENCEDAILY. WWW.SCIENCEDAILY.COM/RELEASES/2017/02/170207105329.HTM (ACCESSED APRIL 21, 2020).
AUTHOR: ELLIE GRIFFIN
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