Staying active while staying at home

The nationwide lockdowns were in full swing across the globe over the past few weeks with non-essential businesses being forced to close their doors until the situation improves. One of the first industries that were temporarily suspended was the fitness industry, with all gyms, pools, studios, and even public outdoor workout areas closed until further notice. As a result, our homes became our gyms. Spaces that used to be the living room, the bedroom, the lounge – see us all furiously busting out 100 squats, crunches, and push-ups while fearing we’re not doing as many as all those friends on Instagram. 

So, what can you do at home efficiently? My personal favourite is yoga, especially during these unsettling times, where we need both physical activity and a piece of mind. Luckily for me, the choice is abundant when it comes to yoga-related content online at the moment. From free live streams on social media, to live sessions with my favourite studios in Dubai and the best studios from anywhere in the world. ClassPass is an excellent app helping me stay fit and explore virtual classes organised by various studios in the country and around the globe.

However, my absolute favorite discovery during the lockdown was Core Power Yoga on Demand, an online directory of yoga studios, classes, and teachers. They are giving everyone free access to a new collection of online classes every week so you can keep your practice moving – wherever you are. They have something for everyone as the classes are divided into categories based on the experience level (C1, C2, and C3) as well as different strength and cardio categories for yoga with a twist. If you are interested in unlimited access to their full collection of amazing 250+ classes, you can subscribe for $19.99/month, which is a very reasonable price for this outstanding collection.

On the other hand, now is the perfect time to support your local community, and all those instructors and coaches, that are waiting get back to work. Some studios in Dubai, such as Urban Yoga offer virtual yoga classes via Zoom with their yoga instructors. Many of these teachers provide a lot of free content on social media, so don’t forget to follow my top 3 on Instagram @laraandyoga, @ricardeandnadine, and @eunseongyoga.

If you want to explore other types of workouts suitable for your living room, I’d recommend HIIT classes and strength training, especially if you are lucky to have dumbbells and other equipment at home. If not, there is always a possibility to use water bottles, flour bags, chairs, and other household items to add additional resistance to your daily workout. Or find sessions that don’t require extra equipment and use your body weight.

When it comes to HIIT and strength training, you definitely must download Nike Training Club, a mobile application that has been my primary destination for quick workout sessions for the past 6 years. You can select your criteria based on the equipment you have, type of workout you would prefer, or the muscle area you would like to target with your activity. You can choose 15, 30 and 45-minute sessions that could be done anywhere you want. Furthermore, you can track your progress, set up a plan for yourself based on your goals, and compete within your community. If this sounds fun, you can also try Adidas Runtastic app, Asics Studio App, or any other similar products in the market. And, let’s not forget, if you are a runner, these apps can be used to track your progress, set milestones, and even enjoy guided runs with celebrity narrators, such as Kevin Hart, helping you run faster or longer depending on your goals (Nike Running Club).

If you are one of those people missing that human interaction and your favourite coaches, check out some of the virtual classes offered by Platform Studios in Dubai. The classes are organised via Zoom, they are live, and your instructors will make sure to keep you engaged during the session. They offer different types of classes, including HIIT, boxing, yoga, Pilates, and other sessions that will make the heart pumping. Tribe fit, on the other hand, has included over 100 Less Millis home workouts that you can tackle while at home. From high-intensity interval training to dance fitness workouts and Born-To-Move sessions for kids aged 4 to 16, there’s something for all skill levels. You just don’t have any excuses to skip work out while in this situation.

It can be a tough thing to remember that just because we’re staying at home, we’re still under immense stress. Therefore, after a good workout, it is essential to reflect and gather your thoughts that have been probably going wild over the past few weeks with all the bad news and scary headlines in the media. Again, YouTube and social media offer a lot of choices when it comes to meditation and mindfulness exercises that will help you stay grounded, happy, and healthy.