Coloring Diary

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER – If You Haven’t Worked Out For A While

Take it easy, don’t become the instant weekend warrior. Remember, while exercise is healthy, you need to start where you are and work up to better levels of fitness gradually. Especially at present, you do not wish to end up in your local emergency room with a bad back, sprain, a fracture or suspected heart attack. Please use common sense and listen to your body. If you become breathless or dizzy or feel faint, stop exercising immediately and seek medical advice.

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected lives in immense ways. Most people have had to redirect or halt their plans after the virus spread widely, resulting in a lockdown. It is possible to get anxious during this period, especially if all you keep getting are negative reports about the COVID-19 status. During these strange and uncertain times, doing activities such as exercising can provide the solace you need. Distracting yourself through exercising is an excellent way to maintain your sanity and you can always journal about it or color or draw or write about it in your coloring diary later.

Besides, exercise is good for your overall wellbeing. There is a high probability of you getting lazier and piling on some pounds if all you do is stay home. To boost your immunity, get out in the fresh air, gain enough vitamin D from sunlight and ensure you remain active. It is good to start a simple outdoor workout routine for yourself. If you have a partner or children who are old enough, engaging them in the workouts helps to strengthen your bond during this time. You don’t need to have a gym in your house to exercise. There are several workout routines that you can do in the comfort of your home or in the near neighborhood. Read on to get an idea of some adult workouts.

Local Area Workouts

You might underestimate the power of walking or running, but this is one of the best ways to start your workout routine. You only need to have comfortable attire and maybe a smartwatch to track your steps. Going for a walk or run, even in your local area, is an excellent way to keep your heart pumping and shed any extra pounds that you might have added over time. Besides, it helps you unwind and think clearly. Why not go for a run if you have the time? If you are starting a new workout routine, you could start with a walk for the first few days, and then proceed to jogging. As your body gets used to this routine, you can start running a few kilometers every day. You will be surprised at how a simple exercise like running will help you. Besides, it helps with blood circulation, which is essential for the general wellbeing of your body.

If you have a bike, then taking that out for a local spin, provided your area is a safe neighborhood, is great exercise. There is often less traffic on the roads now, which makes cycling more relaxing and better fun. You could even get the whole family out, or even to a local off-road area, to make it safer. If you haven’t used your bike in a while then some exercise equipment repair might be in order. At least check your wheels are properly fixed, tyres pumped up to the correct pressure and your helmet and any other safety equipment is safe. That applies to any other equipment you might use too.

Burbing

For running, cycling and walking, there is a event or thing you can do called “burbing”, this is where you travel every street or road in your local area, which can make the distance ridden or walked or run, a long one, while staying close to home. The idea is that you travel along every street or road in your area. It’s surprising just how long a trip that can be, even if you are staying within 2 miles of home, as some jurisdictions require at present.

Indoor Workouts

If you don’t like running or prefer staying indoors or in your garden during the pandemic, you could try skipping. You only need to have a skipping rope, and you are good to go. It used to be that skipping ropes were made of long pieces of washing line and had no handles. These days, you can buy specially made jump ropes. Skipping is a great cardio exercise, as well. Not only does it keep your blood running, but it also challenges all your muscle groups. It also helps you to work on your hand-eye coordination and timing. In short, you become better with your coordination and strength when you skip your rope often. As you jump, try to challenge yourself by trying out the different skipping techniques. You can also increase your skipping times as you progress. You can work the skipping like boxing rounds. Start out with a one minute skip then rest a minute, working up gradually to a three minute skip, with a one minute rest between “rounds”. Alternatively, count your skips. Start at 20 skips, then a rest, working up to whatever you like. It’s also useful to add in some bouts of fast skipping. If you can’t do much of that at first, then add in 10 seconds of fast skipping, easing back to your slower rate for 30 seconds, then increase the rate again.

If you want to run or walk indoors, have you thought of using the stairs? Climbing even 10 stairs can be a cardio exercise. You can choose to climb the stairs a certain number of times each day or you can try timing yourself to climb them faster. The first step can be used for stretching exercises or even for a simple step aerobic exercise. If your home doesn’t have stairs, try stepping on and off an exercise box, or even jumping on and off one. Just make sure the box or step is on a non slip surface and take care using it. One class I went to had jump boxes but the distance was too high for me, so I used it for a step aerobic move – bad idea – the step moved underneath me and I bounced off my butt!

If you don’t feel up to fast exercise, then start with Tai Chi or Pilates or Yoga. You will still get a good workout but not at as fast a rate as cardio exercises. You can also use resistance bands to give your muscles a workout without doing cardio.

Working out doesn’t need to be boring. Did you know that dancing is a form of exercise? If you love dancing, try to incorporate it into your routine every single day. It is a great way to burn some calories and keep your heart rate up and there is plenty of exercise music available. It can either be specialised music or an adapted form of your favorite band or singer. Most exercise music has a particular beat, often 60 beats a minute but some dance music will be very different from that. Make your dance time more interesting by creating a playlist of your favorite songs, and use the playlist every time you want to dance. If you have the time, you could even try some of the dancing moves on TikTok. The goal is to remain active, fit, and also enjoy yourself. Just look into the app and start practicing. Besides, you need to create your happiness. If dancing lifts your mood, why not do it?

The other not so obvious workout for adults is cleaning. Have you ever wondered how many calories you lose while cleaning? During this lockdown, it is essential to ensure that everything in your home is clean and in order. This is the time to arrange your closets and get rid of all the junk you kept over the years. You could even do some painting to transform your house.

Cleaning is an excellent way to keep your body active. You can burn a lot of calories just by cleaning and arranging items in your home. Doing laundry, hoovering the stairs, and making your bed are great workout options. If you still feel energetic, you could add some squats or lunges. Add some weights to increase resistance in your workouts. Remember, it is all about creativity.

Exercising is essential because it helps strengthen the body’s immune system and even improve one’s mental health. As much as you may have a lot of free time, it is good to spare some time to improve your body’s wellbeing. Keeping a journal of what you have done and what you are eating is a good way to track your personal wellbeing during lockdown. And if you add some exercise humor to your workout, you could be getting a double benefit including keeping your spirits up.