Simple Ways to Keep Your Family Active During COVID-19

With social distancing and stay-at-home orders in effect all across the country, it’s more important than ever to find ways to keep yourself and your family active while staying indoors. Even just 10 minutes of daily physical activity can help you improve your mobility and live longer.

But how can you get up and get moving without putting yourself, your family, or others at risk of COVID-19? Here are a few ways to stay active while also staying safe.

Get flexible with yoga

About 28% of Americans say they’ve practiced yoga at some point in their lives. If you haven’t done yoga before, it may be worthwhile to give it a try. Not only does yoga help improve your mobility and blood flow, but it can also help you to relax and relieve anxiety. The latter benefits can be especially helpful right now during this challenging time.

Strengthen your core with pilates

Pilates is a little similar to yoga, but instead of focusing on flexibility pilates are focused on relaxing tense muscles and strengthening your body. Pilates is especially effective for boosting your abdominal strength and the other core muscles of your body such as your hips, buttocks, and lower back. What’s more, both pilates and yoga can be done in small spaces without even having to go outside.

Do everyday activities that get your heart pumping

You don’t always need to be working out to get your heart rate up. There are several different ways you and your family can get active in your daily lives. Playing on the trampoline with your kids in the backyard, playing catch with balled-up socks in the living room, dancing around to your favorite song, or even giving your house a serious spring cleaning are all normal, everyday activities that can get your heart rate up.

Grow a vegetable garden

If you’re looking to boost your curb appeal this season while getting in your cardio, gardening is also a great way to get active. According to NPR, there’s been a surge in people growing their own vegetable gardens since the COVID-19 crisis began and 92% of homeowners adding plants to their yards are opting for native plants. 

Not only can gardening give you the healthy foods you and your family need, but it can also give you the same benefits from aerobic exercise. According to Aggie Horticulture, between spading, lifting, tilling, raking, weeding, and trimming, you can burn up to 300 calories per hour gardening.

Learn the latest dances

There are plenty of new dances that make their way around the Internet. Try learning some of them with your kids! You can pull up instructional YouTube videos and slow down the speed to make them a little easier to learn. Once you’ve got the dance moves down, you can even consider making a TikTok video with your kids.

During these challenging times, it can be difficult to stay active. But by trying new things and getting involved with fun cardio activities with your kids, you can help keep yourself and your family happy and healthy even while social distancing.