Safe and effective exercise tips for social distancing.

Whether you’re a gym regular or someone just looking to be less sedentary, finding ways to stay active while social distancing is important for physical health (and mental health, too). But how much muscle can you build in your living room, really? Turns out you can accomplish quite a bit in your house, around the block, and with household items while waiting for the COVID-19 curve to flatten.

Mary Beth Torres, MS, RDN, senior health and wellness consultant with Baptist Health’s Healthy For Life employee wellness program, says it’s vital for everyone to keep moving during a quarantine.

“The No. 1 benefit of being physically active is to improve on your mental and emotional health during these times,” she said. “We’re humans and we’re used to being social, so being socially isolated can really put people in the wrong mindset. Being active, even though we can’t be out and about, really helps stimulate the brain and senses to keep us in a happier place.”

For class addicts seeking Zumba, yoga, and more

For those who usually get their exercise at gym classes or through team sports, Torres recommends finding guided workouts through your streaming service of choice.

“Streaming services have a lot of on-demand classes; Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu all have a ton of yoga, cycling, HIIT, cardio and Zumba-style dance classes similar to the ones you’d take at your gym. Also, our local YMCAs are moving their classes online, offering free, live virtual classes for members and nonmembers.”

You can also find them on your smartphone. Torres’ favorite apps include MyFitnessPal, Workout Women and 7-Minute Workout.

Keeping it simple

Having expert-guided workouts can help beginners get moving without feeling overwhelmed, but even without apps, just doing basic movements throughout your day can help you reap some fitness benefits.

“Do simple things like sit-ups, pushups and squats. Even if you’re working from home remotely, just stand up and sit down in your chair,” she said.

Upping the ante with household items

For gym lovers who need more challenge than just using their own body weight, look around the house and see what you can use as equipment. Toss all those canned goods in a backpack and do some curls, for example.

“I saw a really fun video about a family who made a backyard obstacle course with their children, and they filled a backpack with bags of flour and used the backpack on their back to exercise while doing it. You could also sit down and lift it like a dumbbell. Cans of food can be used as weights as well, or if you need more weight, put it in something easy to use as a dumbbell.”

Getting outside is A-OK

Torres also encourages people not to fear going outdoors. Since social distancing focuses on giving each other space, just be mindful of your proximity to others, and try to avoid touching items and your face until you can wash your hands after returning home.

“Having fresh air is good for your mental and emotional health,” Torres said. “If you’re working out outside, stay six feet apart. Make sure whatever you’re touching, don’t touch your face and immediately wash your hands and the knobs you used to walk in and out. People should not be afraid to go outside — go get a good dose of vitamin D and fresh air.”

Lastly, Torres said it’s easy to forget about fitness when your usual schedule is disrupted. When you create a new daily schedule to work (and do school work with the kids) from home, build exercise into it, too.

“Make it a priority. If you don’t it won’t happen, so make sure you put it on the schedule,” she said.

At Baptist Health, we want to help keep you and your family informed about COVID-19. We’re coordinating with the health department and following CDC guidelines to ensure the health and safety of our community. For more information, visit baptistjax.com/covid19 or if you have questions about COVID symptoms, call 904-302-5050

This article was written by Baptist Health for Juice, their fresh & informative health news site.