Best home workouts for pandemic

Have you been relegated to home workouts since the pandemic hit? I have to admit, I haven’t worked out in gym for about 15 years. I prefer combining exercise with housework, gardening, walking with a friend, swimming at the springs, or playing with the kids/cats. But when life becomes mostly sitting behind the computer, or cooped up inside due to extreme cold or heat, it might be time for some intervention! That’s why I wanted to share my family’s favorite home workouts with you.

Different workouts for each individual

Everyone in my family has different fitness goals and exercise preferences. I gravitate more towards yoga, do-in (see below), and walking, whereas my teenage daughter Izzy loves trendy workout videos on Youtube. And my husband Nelson does a hybrid of core work, yoga, and swimming. We’ve been including some more structured home workouts during the pandemic to keep us motivated. Here are our favorite home workouts that you can do anywhere with very little equipment (or maybe an exercise mat and a water bottle!).

Do-in energizing movements

I taught a short Do-in routine to my students over the years as a form of self-care while going through their chef training program. It’s a great exercise on its own, but can also be used as a warm-up for a yoga class or other routine. One of the best things about Do-in is that you can do it anywhere– inside, outside, even in a hotel room. My favorite way to do it is outside with bare feet so you get the extra benefit of the earth’s energy rejuvenating you as you exercise. If you’re indoors, open a window if you can so you can get some fresh air while you’re exercising! Here is a 5-minute routine I put together just for you!

I learned about Do-in from one of my first macrobiotic teachers, Lino Stanchich back in 2004. He taught Do-in classes every morning at 7 am (or was it 6 am?) at the French Meadows Macrobiotic Summer Conference, which was then held outdoors in the Tahoe National Forest. What an amazing way to start the day! It is designed to move energy through the body, get a good dose of oxygen, and be both energizing and relaxing. Check out Lino’s website and hour-long Do-in video (digital download).

Yoga at Home with Angie Knight

For years and years I wished for my favorite yoga teacher, Angie Knight, to offer her classes online so that I could take a class from her anytime, anywhere. Fortunately for me, when the pandemic hit last year, she created Yoga at Home. I was one of the first people to sign up, and just love getting her new Hatha, Yin, and Meditation offerings by email. It’s not just a weekly dose of yoga, it’s a weekly dose of love from Angie (and her cute dog Ollie by her side). Angie has added monthly virtual live sessions in addition to her recorded classes that come with Spotify playlists, which are a lot of fun. Check our her 14-day free trial today!

All in Wellness home workouts

My friend Kate’s All in Wellness home workouts (free on Youtube) will whip you into shape! She will make you feel good about yourself and cheer you on as you work your way to health. These workouts are a bit advanced for me, so I have to take breaks and stretch periodically to make them work for me. But that’s what fitness is all about– listening to your body, taking it at your own pace, and not overdoing it. Less is more! Oh, and by the way, Kate is also a professionally trained natural foods chef. So check out her blog for some fun and healthy recipes!

Core workouts from Down Under

My daughter Izzy turned me onto some great Youtube fitness videos from Australia. We have been doing this 5-minute core workout together from Lilly Sabri for about 10 days and I definitely feel stronger and more motivated to exercise because of it!

Izzy also recommends free Youtube workout videos and programs from Chloe Ting and Bailey Brown.

Nelson’s core workouts – The Body Sustainable

Nelson developed his own system for strengthening the core when he was healing from a back injury. He swears by his routine for keeping strong and preventing back pain. Although he used to do a heavy-duty yoga class every morning, it was hard on his back and created some imbalances in his body. He finds that doing his core work in addition to selected yoga poses is a better balance for him than traditional yoga classes. Here are two of his low back exercise videos to get you started.

Be safe and listen to your body!

I really mean it when I say listen to your body. I’ve gone through years and years of only doing light stretching and easy walking. My body was in healing mode, and I didn’t need the extra stress of fitness workouts. If your body needs rest, give it rest. Rest, good food, and good eating habits is all you need to maintain a healthy weight and metabolism. If you want to learn more about this, check out my macrobiotic friend Denny Waxman’s video on Creating a Healthy Weight (see below) and also my programs to learn how to cook with natural foods.

However, if you’re feeling well rested and in overall robust health, upping your fitness goals could be a good thing for you. Just don’t overdo it! You want to have a sustainable routine that you can maintain over time without injury.

Best of luck and here’s to your health in 2021!

Featured image photo credit by Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash.