Stay fit while staying safe

How to stay in shape during the quarantine

We are facing so many changes right now. Our current situation has left us unable to leave our homes unless we need essential services. This poses concerns for our health and well-being because we aren’t able to stay as active as we may have been before. Sports we were involved with are suspended, gyms we attended are closed and our local hot spots for other physical fitness activities are not available either. We want to provide you with a few helpful ideas on ways to stay in shape while still staying safe.

1. Create a routine that fits your schedule. If you are used to a specific gym schedule, plan your day accordingly for exercise during that time. You can use a variety of tools to help you get in a workout straight from home. YouTube is a great source of videos for different types of workouts. See which type fits your style.
2. Arrange time to stand up and walk around. Avoid being sedentary. We all know binging Netflix, doing our classwork and studying keeps us laying on our bed more than usual, so set an alarm on your phone to make you get up and walk around your house every 30-45 minutes. Stretch your legs and back.
3. Give yourself time to meditate. Even though we are staying indoors most of the time, this is still a high-stress point in our lives. We need some quiet time to collect our thoughts, take a breath and relax.
4.  If you are comfortable venturing a short distance outside your house, take a walk around your neighborhood or ride a bike. 30 minutes a day is the recommended amount of cardiovascular exercise recommended. (Being able to respect social distancing outside is easier and you can opt to wear a mask.)
5. There are many apps on the app store that you can utilize that will offer you exercise programs. Many of these cost money, but they also come with meal plans and will often send equipment to your home. Some apps include: Cardiotrainer, JEFIT, OPENfit.
6. There are also several streaming services you can use that offer great options. Some suggestions are: plyojam.com, ondemandfhittingroom.com, obefitness.com. All these services have fees, but are very popular and have many different opportunities for keeping yourself in shape and active right now.

We at the Syrinx want to keep all our student athletes in mind right now because we know that the inability to stay active in your sport can be very frustrating and we hope that you will soon be able to get back out and practice, play and enjoy your team and sporting events. At the same time, it is important to remain mindful of looking at the positives and remember there is a plan for our future. Staying active can help us remain patient through these difficult times. 

Author: Janelle Fontaine