As someone who lives in the Midwest, I’m no stranger to weather. Whether it be a rain, freezing cold, snow, or ice, there are many days that hinder my ability to get outside and be active. Here are some easy activities you can do to get moving, without leaving the house or needing any expensive equipment. It’s time to stay in and stay moving!
1. Hit The Stairs
If you have a multi-level home, use it as your own personal stair-stepper. In addition to walking the steps, use them for lunges, triceps dips, or other strength exercises. Check out this stairs workout you can do in just 15 minutes: https://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/stairs-workout
2. Exercise While You Cook
Take advantage of time you are already spending on your feet, and turn your meal prep into a workout as well! While waiting for noodles or other food to cook, do a few sets of squats or lunges. If you are using cans of food, use them as weights and do a few sets of bicep curls and arm circles before opening. Blast some music and get creative! Especially if you are someone with a busy schedule, this is a good way to squeeze in some strength training on any day.
3. Find a Workout Video Online
Whether it be yoga, Pilates, or cardio, you can probably find a workout video on YouTube to fit your needs. If you have kids and want to get them involved, my family loves Cosmic Yoga. These videos have fun visuals and tell a story…and I’ve found it can be a decent workout for adults too!
4. Walk Your Home
If you’re stuck inside all day make sure to take regular breaks to get up and walk around. Watching TV? Get up during commercial breaks and walk every room. Streaming online? Take a walk break after each episode or set a timer to remind you to get up and move. It doesn’t have to be all at once, but taking regular walking breaks will add up throughout the day and keep your step count up.
5. Clean
I know, I know, who wants to clean their house on a rainy day when you can cozy up and binge you’re favorite shows? Make a plan to clean for an hour and you’ll find yourself getting steps and movement in. If you’re scrubbing floors or bathrooms, that can be a workout in itself. Put on your favorite podcast or playlist and get to it! If you’re doing a lot of crouching and bending, be sure to stretch afterwards.