How To Be Active At Home During Quarantine, And Why It's So Hard To Stick To It

The earth has rotated around the sun for yet another year, and what a year it was. For most of 2020, Americans spent it in quarantine. We worked from home, we cooked at home, we ate at home. Compared to any other time in my life, I was the least active I had ever been. And there is absolutely no shame in that.

2020 was traumatizing to say the least. You could've gained weight, or lost weight. You could've managed to work out, or the idea maybe never crossed your mind. And now with 2021 and it's "Lose Weight In The New Year" commercials everywhere, you may be dealing with a lot guilt for your inactivity or lack of motivation.

But you shouldn't. I am here to offer you some advice that helped me, and I want you to relax. This article isn't about losing weight, or having the perfect body once quarantine ends. Because your body and any weight and any time is perfect for when you reenter the world after quarantine.

January 1st, 2021 I set a New Years Resolution to do something active at least five times a week. I had been journaling and writing about how I felt in my body. Not about how I looked, or any weight I did or didn't gain, but about how my body felt physically and how I felt mentally. I had realized how rundown and frustrated I felt. So I decided to set a goal of activity.

I chose my wording of my New Year's Resolution very intentionally. "Something active" is vague, and is vague on purpose. Something active can be playing wii sports with my friends, dancing, walking my dog, or even doing chores. I also never picked an amount of time, I don't want to commit to an amount of time because every day I will feel different. Then "five times a week" gives me the freedom to pick. Something like "every day" can lead to burn out. I can skip a day or two if I want.

I am seventeen days into January, and I have had huge success. On top of that, I am feeling a lot better. I have found some great resources that have helped me stay active in one way or another. I want to share these resources with you as well.

Yoga With Adriene

Yoga With Adriene is an amazing YouTube channel for yoga. Adriene is kind and skilled, and she offers her routines to you for free. They vary in length, difficulty, and rigor. You can practice poses for strength, flexibility, or mindfulness. You can also choose videos that target specific parts of the body. The lower back, hips, and ham string ones are the best for people who are sitting a lot. My favorite is that almost all of her videos only require you to have a yoga mat (or something soft beneath you), which means you don't have to invest in a ton of equipment.

MadFit

MadFit is another amazing YouTube channel that is more geared towards legitimate workouts. I started with her dance workout videos, and then continued to explore her videos. The dance workouts are super fun, and really get your body moving. She also has different videos that vary in length, difficulty, and rigor. She provides many different types of videos. You can pick and choose what you want to do. I have been using her dance workouts, upper body workouts, and core workouts the most. They help a lot with my yoga practice. She offers plenty of apartment friendly, and no equipment workouts. No investments into expensive equipment needed.

Remind yourself that quarantine is hard. You aren't as active as you used to be. You're processing a lot of stress and you're dealing with a new way of life. It is so important to be kind to yourself. Do what makes you feel good, and take it day by day. Don't feel guilty, and allow yourself to take breaks. You got this.

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