If you’ve moved to working from home like many people around the world because of coronavirus, you might be wondering how you’re going to stay fit with your new daily routine. With gyms closed and people mandated to stay at home by local government, now’s probably a great time to think about how you can keep up your fitness at home as well as perhaps investing in some home gym equipment.
You don’t necessarily need to spend anything to work out at home. There are plenty of exercises that use just your own body weight for resistance and your furniture makes for great gym equipment in a pinch. Getting into a new routine for the next several weeks will not only help you keep fit but it will also help you stay sane and avoid a strong onset of cabin fever.
Keep fit in self-isolation
- YouTube workout channels
- Cubii under-desk elipticals
- Zombies, Run!
- Affordable fitness gear
- Peleton App
- Fitbit
- Beachbody
While staying at home pretty much full-time because of COVID-19 is not ideal, it does eliminate your commute meaning you have extra time on a morning or evening to get a workout in. You can use what you have around you creatively to work up a sweat for free, or access both free and paid online resources to help you out and even load up on gym kit to push your workouts further.
YouTube workout channels
Before you start spending money on fitness apps and equipment, be sure to check out one of the best free resources: YouTube. Fitness channels like Fitness Blender and The Body Coach offer a plethora of workouts, many of which require just a yoga mat or no equipment at all.
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Cubii under-desk elipticals
Sitting all day for work isn’t exactly comfortable or healthy and we should all try to do it less and mitigate it where possible. This applies whether you’re working from home or the office. However, now you’re at home all the time you might not realize quite how little you move during the day. With a Cubii Desk Elliptical, you can do just that by burning some calories while you’re sitting there. There are two different models, the Cubii Jr and the Cubii Pro, but both offer low-impact exercise that keeps you moving even while you’re at your desk.
Work out while you work
Cubii Desk Elliptical
With prices from $249, the Cubii devices aren’t super affordable but they are cheaper than creating a whole home gym and can help you burn up to 150 more calories per hour without really realizing it.
See at Amazon
Zombies, Run!
While you normally use Zombies, Run! to outrun virtual zombies and work your way through a story somewhat akin to The Walking Dead, the company announced it was releasing a series of free workouts to help those staying home keep fit. Called The Home Front, the new missions are designed for beginners and intermediate exercisers, and they don’t require any special equipment.
The Home Front
Zombies, Run!
The Home Front from Zombies, Run! lets you work out without leaving the home with free side-missions. These don’t spoil the main Zombies, Run! story, so you can try them out even if you’ve never used the outdoor runs before.
See at Zombies, Run!
Affordable fitness gear
Though you certainly can, you don’t have to spend a fortune to create a decent home gym. There’s a lot of choice for different types of exercise from running and cycling indoors, to yoga, weight training, HIIT, and more at stores like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Whether you want to pick up a light pair of dumbbells to supplement your workouts or replace your road runs with a full-on treadmill, you can do so at these stores and probably find a solid deal right now.
Home gym goals
Fitness Store at Amazon
Amazon sells pretty much everything, so it’s no surprise that it has a sizable fitness store. Its own brand AmazonBasics gym equipment offers great value for money, but it also stocks products from major health and fitness brands too.
See at Amazon
Peloton App
While most people can’t justify splurging on one of the company’s fancy indoor bikes, Peloton’s app offers similar live and on-demand classes with a mix of running, strength, toning, cycling, yoga, meditation, and more. What’s more, the app has a free trial that has just been extended to 90 days given the current climate.
Virtual classes
Peloton App
You don’t need any Peloton hardware to join in. A Peloton Digital Membership gets you access to the live and on-demand workouts and you can try it free for 90 days.
See at Peloton
Fitbit
It can be hugely motivating to get moving by hitting goals (or by seeing exaclty how little you have moved so far on any given day). Having a good fitness tracker is essential for that and Fitbit makes some of the most popular and most well-rated options out there. As well as making great devices, Fitbit’s Premium service offers guided workouts, mindfulness training, personalized insights, and more. It usually costs $10 per month but right now you can get it for free for three months.
Track your goals
Fitbit Versa 2
Overall, the Fitbit Versa 2 is the best Fitbit you can buy in 2020. It’s lightweight, has a ton of features, and comes in at a pretty good price.
See at Amazon
Beachbody
Diet is super important for staying fit and healthy while working from home. It’s super easy to eat all the snacks in the house and just sit at your desk all day (believe me). Beachbody combines a structured workout plan with nutrition guides for some serious results. If you want to use your new-found free time to lose weight, tone up, and get healthy then it’s worth checking out the 14-day trial to see if Beachbody works for you.
Get summer ready
Beachbody
With over 40 different workout programs and personalized nutrition, you can make some real changes with Beachbody and track the results easily over time. The 14-day trial lets you see if it is for you.
See at Beachbody