We understand not everyone has the time to get outside and exercise, or go to the gym for that matter. Between work, school, family, and maintaining a social life, many of us feel like we are drowning. However, we know that staying active is important, and we should fit it into our busy schedules somehow. That’s why we’ve made a list of 5 ways to stay active at home. As a bonus, we’ve included activities that combine your daily task!

1. No equipment necessary. 

You don’t need workout equipment to exercise from home. Think of all the conditioning and cardio you can do right on your living room floor, from pushups to situps, stair stepping on a chair, planks, lunges, and jumping jacks… The list goes on! In fact, not only is exercising from home convenient, you can enjoy privacy while you do it. There is no pressure at home, so you can focus on your fitness.

2. Yoga for everyone. 

You might think, “but I don’t know how to do yoga on my own?” And that’s ok. There are a lot of apps and websites dedicated to teaching you from online! Yoga is a great alternative to physically demanding workouts for someone with an illness, recovering from an injury, reaching old age, or pregnant. It is a gentle practice that can help you maintain your strength, flexibility, and balance while you are healing. It promotes mindfulness, so that you can have greater awareness and stay present. For those of you dealing with a busy schedule, yoga is a great way to slow down and refocus for the day. 

3. Housework is an exercise too. 

Did you know that housework is also considered a physical activity? To keep our homes shiny and clean we sweep, vacuum, pick up, do laundry and so on, all of which fall under a moderate activity level. Better yet, we do this so often it’s easy to keep up with and overtime helps to maintain a healthy weight. You can amp up your “household work exercise routine” with a few easy changes. Try playing energizing music for motivation. While you wait for the water to boil or laundry, do push ups (back straight, butt clenched, and head up) or jog in place (high knees). If you have stairs in your home, try to use them as much as possible and don’t take any shortcuts. By squeezing these little added exercises into our daily tasks, we can make a huge difference in our overall health. 

4. YouTube workouts. 

We can search for virtually any type of workout on YouTube that you can do conveniently from your home. It’s a great alternative if you’re sick of purchasing workout DVD’s and offers a good variety of workouts to choose from. Simply enter the type of workout you wish to do in the “search” bar and choose from the videos that come up. It’s also a good option for people unsure of the proper technique for basic exercises at home, like how to do a pushup or wall-sit. YouTube is the “How-To” for anything, including your workout.

5. Just dance. 

Maybe you’re looking for a little bit of fun with your workout? Dancing at home is just as mentally rewarding as it is physically, studies show that dancing can boost your overall happiness. Dancing is a whole body workout, it’s cardio, and helps with balance and coordination. If you’re not familiar with any dance routines and not comfortable doing it on your own, then checkout a DVD or follow an online video at home. If you’re wanting to try dancing on your own at home, then start by picking out a song you know you can’t resist. It doesn’t matter if you’re a good or bad dancer, what matters is how you feel, and remember, no one is judging you from home.

**Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. If you experience any pain or difficulty with these exercises, stop and consult your healthcare provider.