4 tips for staying active at home

Kendra Rorabaugh

Prisma Health Life Center Health & Conditioning Club

Physical activity is very important. Not only does regular exercise reduce our risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and metabolic syndrome, it’s also a great mood booster.

Kendra Rorabaugh, certified exercise physiologist, said exercise is proven to help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and lower our levels of perceived stress. “Simply put, when we exercise, we’re better equipped to deal with our stressors in a healthy way.”

Rorabaugh offered a few creative ways to stay healthy at home:

1. Keep it simple – every minute counts. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend 150-300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week and two sessions of muscle strength training per week. Benefits are cumulative even when your exercise sessions are broken into several shorter bouts of 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes.
2. Focus on what you DO have, rather than what you don’t have. Some of the most effective exercise modalities don’t require any fancy equipment. Bodyweight movements such as lunges, squats, kneeling push-ups, and planks are excellent for muscular strength training. If walking or jogging outdoors is not an option, try climbing stairs, jumping rope or following an online exercise video.
3. Be flexible. Flexibility training and mindfulness practices are just as important to our overall health and well-being. Try slowing down to some at-home yoga, guided meditation, or simple deep breathing exercises.
4. Avoid sitting all day. Even if you’re home all day, take intentional movement breaks. If you’re watching movies or enjoying a series on your favorite streaming service, set a reminder timer to pause, get up, stretch, do some jumping jacks or other movements, then return to your entertainment.