Staying fit and healthy is so important, especially now when we’re spending most of our time at home and the gyms are closed in many places.
It can get challenging to stick to a workout routine with various distractions around you.
But once you find a workout style that you connect with and commit to even just 10-30 minutes every other day, you will see incredible results. You’ll be stronger, healthier, and happier.
And luckily, we live in an age where there are unlimited free or paid workout classes online. No place for excuses here!
Here are 5 best workouts to stay active at home that don’t require any special equipment or props.
Pilates
My go-to workout for almost any day is Pilates. Because I don’t always want to sweat too much and I like to focus on low-impact exercise, it’s perfect. It strengthens muscles, improves postural alignment and flexibility.
Even though it might look easy if you’ve never tried it, many Pilates moves work the core, and even the simplest one can be very challenging.
Pilates works in all the areas of the body and is excellent for staying toned and healthy.
There are quite a few different types of Pilates workouts you’ll find online – some using props, others requiring only a mat. Try as many as you can so you can see which works best for you!
Yoga
For some people, yoga and Pilates may seem very similar. And they are! Both have numerous health benefits to stress relief, developing flexibility, strength, control, and endurance.
The main and most prominent difference is that yoga focuses on spirituality as well. But don’t get spooked – there can be as much or as little of it as you’d like, and it’s never preachy.
Yoga has many different styles. From active and fast-paced Vinyasa flow, slower Hatha class where you hold poses longer to restorative style yoga, aiming to work on your flexibility and relaxation.
Do some research and find a teacher that speaks best to you and a style that works best for your fitness needs. I personally love a slower class to unwind after a long stressful day.
HIIT
I have a love-hate relationship with HIIT! It makes me feel so good after, but I struggle during every minute of it. Nonetheless, the benefits are amazing, so at least once a week, I put on a HITT video and stop complaining.
As Vox.com explains, HIIT workouts generally combine short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise, during which a person’s heart rate reaches at least 80 percent of its maximum capacity.
You can burn up to 150 calories in only 10 minutes! What other workouts can get you there?
Circuit training
When I need to focus and work my entire body, I go for a circuit training session. It’s a workout where you cycle through several exercises (usually up to 10), targeting different muscle groups without too much resting.
The focus is the muscular strength, endurance, and cardiorespiratory system. This is the kind of workout that is even practiced by the top rated female fighters in BetAmerica Extra MMA odds.
I like it because there’s no time to stress or worry about my daily life issues – I’m moving from one exercise to the next very quickly and focusing on getting it right. It’s a type of meditation even though it looks nothing like it!
A session will clear your mind so well that you’ll be able to take on any task, like completing a challenging work project.
Dance workouts
The most fun workout to do at home, in my humble opinion, is a dance workout! There are so many varieties you can try and plenty of free or paid on-demand videos. Here are my top three favorite dance workouts.
Zumba. I love it for when I’m feeling energized or when I need a pick-me-up after a long dark winter day. It’s also great for weight loss. According to Healthline.com , you may be able to burn between 300 and 900 calories during one hour of mid-to high-intensity Zumba.
Hip Hop dance. Trust me. Nothing gets you motivated to move mountains (or that pile of laundry later) then an intense hip hop workout. Blast it loud and let yourself get loose!
Nia. It’s a very feminine and freeing dance that blends yoga, martial arts, and tai chi with dance and yoga movements. I love it because even though an instructor guides the workout and shows the moves, the goal is to focus on how a particular movement feels to you and examine how you can express yourself through it. And the music usually is great too!
More Exercise Tips
The Journey Towards the Union of Yoga and Christianity
It’s Never Too Early To Exercise With Your Kids
Easy Ways I’m Always Really Prepared To Exercise
