Many are reaching a bit of a burnout on working from home due to COVID restrictions and stay at home orders. I can agree, without proper tools in place, keeping motivated to do anything can be increasingly difficult when every day feels a bit like “Groundhog Day.”
Now, as we face the next school year ramping up and adding virtual home school to the list, it may seem a bit overwhelming for some on how to cope with everything being at home, every day.
That’s what I’m here to help you with today. I’m going to share 7 easy tips on how to make sure you have some activity each day to keep moving.
Schedule it
Take a look at your daily needs with work and school, and plan a family schedule. Know ahead of time what the basic plan for each day will be for wake up, meals, work schedule, school schedules and play.
Schedule time for 30 minutes of exercise each day. That can be all at once, or spread out over the course of the day in 5 or 10 minute increments if that’s the only way you can squeeze it in.
Delegate.
Delegate who will be handling what on your family schedule so everyone knows ahead of time what their main jobs will be each day.
Spread out the meal prep, and chores responsibilities to share the load, which also helps everyone get a little bit of extra activity in just by helping out with the basics.
Set a timer.
Set a timer in your cell phone or even better on your smart watch to get up and move every hour on the hour. Do some kind of movement for a minute or two to get your blood circulating and your brain fired up again.
Examples of this can be a walk around the house, a few laps up and down the stairs, pushups, jumping jacks, crunches, squats, stretching, or going outside for some fresh air and sunshine.
Get Creative.
Many people relied on going to the gym for a workout, therefore they don’t really have many options for equipment at home. Going online to purchase may prove difficult as most equipment is sold out or on back order. The other hurdle is the cost, gym equipment is pricey! This is where your creativity can soar!
Load up a backpack and wear it while doing squats or going for a walk. Use water bottles or canned foods for “dumbbells.” Use a densely packed throw pillow for slam ball exercises. Jump ropes are still pretty easy to find and they are FABULOUS for cardio!
Use your virtual skills to help.
There are endless online resources now for online training. Whether you need an actual coach guiding you through the workout, or a video of a class to follow along with, or even just an app with a plan to follow, it’s all out there for the taking.
At LEANWell we offer an app with daily instructions and fitness tracking, virtual one-on-one coaching, and virtual training for small groups as well. We can work with your equipment limitations as well as any physical restrictions or limitations you may have so you can receive a totally custom workout and nutrition plan.
Set 3 daily SMART goals.
Each day brings new and exciting surprises when you live during a time of global pandemic. If you can count on anything, it’s to count on nothing. Am I right?? I mean, our family word for 2020 is like the Friends episode…“PIVOT!” because each time a new wave of chaos or restrictions come our way, we bunker down, develop a plan, and start over with our version of the “new normal.”
I encourage you to set 3 big daily goals for yourself so you can plan ways to overcome the many struggles our culture has to offer right now. Set goals for movement, set goals for play, set goals for productivity, set goals for rest.
Focus on win or learn.
Prepare your mind each day to seek out the positive first, and when a particular circumstance seems like a loss, or your perfectly laid plan doesn’t go so perfect, redirect your brain to look at it as a “learn” instead. A great quote to remember this concept is something I most recently heard from a great business leader Marie Forleo, she said it best when she said “I win or I learn, but I never lose.”
I hope this encourages you today to get moving, and do it with intention and pure joy. If you feel like this is too much of a task to take on, or you need help getting going, that’s what we are here for!!
Schedule a coaching session with me or Brian to learn more, or get helpful tools on how to live a positive, healthy, and happy life in even the most restrictive circumstances.
Coach Sandy Robinson
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Health Coach
Certified Personal Fitness Chef