Creative ways to exercise during pandemic

Our Recommendations for Getting Fit on a Budget

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought our fast-moving world to a standstill. Whether you’re a fitness fanatic or casual gym-goer, the thought of picking up a dumbbell covered in germs is enough to make anyone cringe.

You might be wondering how you’re supposed to go about this whole at-home workout thing.

Find workouts through online videos and apps.

The internet is chock-full of free exercise videos. From yoga to Zumba to circuit training that you can do in your backyard. Test out a few exercises to find a series program or instructor that you like.

Walk, run or bike outside
Sport, Fitness & Exercise equipments Canada. GRT Products 4 Creative ways to exercise during pandemic

Everyone could use a little fresh air. Hit the pavement in your neighborhood and challenge yourself to walk, run or bike a number of minutes or miles. If you’re an experienced fitness buff and you’re really looking to ramp up your heart rate, opt for hills or try a running-based HIIT workout. And, yes, it’s possible to keep this up even in the cold winter months.

Focus on bodyweight movements.

Now’s the time to incorporate bodyweight exercises into your workouts. These tried and true movements include things like pushups, squats, lunges, planks, and burpees. Pick a few different movements and create a circuit workout by completing as many reps of that one movement as possible in one minute. Repeat this for 15 to 20 minutes.  

Utilize items around your house

Run up and down your basement stairs, use a chair for triceps dips, or grab cans of soup or a gallon of water as a weight. Just jumping over a shoebox a few times can also be an effective burst of cardio.

Involve your household

If you have kids, try to encouraging them to do pushups with you or organizing a backyard obstacle course. Also, never underestimate the power of playing tag with them or get the whole family involved in a backyard soccer game. These are all great ways to make memories with your family and burn off some stress and anxiety. 

Start your home workout without breaking the bank, with these inexpensive types of equipment

Setting up a home gym can be pricey and requires lots of room. Fortunately, there are other options for your at-home exercise within a budget. Here are a few of our recommendations:

Jump Ropes:

A very simple and affordable tool. Well known as a great calorie-burner. It strengthens the upper and lower body and burns a lot of calories in a short time.

Sport, Fitness & Exercise equipments Canada. GRT Products Elastic_Band_Exercise-1024x576 Creative ways to exercise during pandemic
Resistance Band Workout At Home
Resistance Bands:

A good quality resistance band set can really tone your body for good, with the right training plan.

Pull-up Bars:

As You probably know already, Pull-ups are simply the staple in upper body workouts! All You need is a good quality pull-up bar with the desired weight capacity.

Suspension Trainers:

Suspension Trainers are must-have tools for any home gyms. They provide users with enduring, professional-grade workouts for all fitness levels.

Exercise or Stability Balls:
Sport, Fitness & Exercise equipments Canada. GRT Products Woman-doing-stability-ball-exercises-1024x390 Creative ways to exercise during pandemic
Stability Ball exercise at home

They are large, vinyl balls you can use to strengthen and stretch your body, improving core stability and balance

Kettlebells:

kettlebell looks like a cast-iron cannonball with a handle on top. They come in various weights. You’ll use them as you do things like lunges, lifts, and shoulder presses.

AB Rollers:
Sport, Fitness & Exercise equipments Canada. GRT Products AB-Roller_workout Creative ways to exercise during pandemic
Ab-roller workout

It’s a great little tool to build your core muscles. Using an ab roller is a direct core exercise that works your deep ab muscles.

Step Platforms:

Step platforms have been around for decades. Step platforms are versatile, adjustable, and come in different sizes to accommodate storage needs and fit your physical size.

credit: health.clevelandclinic.org/

A few great exercising tips for Spring

Time to get back into your exercise routine this spring

Ramp up slowly:

The first steps are always the hardest, but they are also key to creating consistency. Try to get some exercise 2-4 times per week on alternate days. One of the best ways to get sore or injured is to go hard on the weekend and do nothing during the week.

Sport, Fitness & Exercise equipments Canada. GRT Products 2-1 A few great exercising tips for Spring

Walking or Hiking:

Spring is finally here! The days are getting longer and the weather is great. So shake off the last of those cold, dark winter days and get outside when possible. If you live close enough, consider walking to work. Swap commuting for walking whenever possible. The positive effects won’t be immediate, but they’ll sneak up on you quickly. Soon, you’ll find you have more energy and can walk longer and faster with little additional effort.

Sport, Fitness & Exercise equipments Canada. GRT Products Outdoor_workout_nature_fall A few great exercising tips for Spring

Improvise with your surroundings:

To add variety to your outdoor workout, utilize what’s right there around you (though obviously don’t play fast and loose with health and safety, guys – be sensible!). Steps, benches, and stairs provide a great opportunity to make exercises and increase the difficulty and intensity of workouts. 

Jogging:

Jogging is a great way to combine your Spring exercise routine with fresh air, so It’s time to say goodbye to those fluorescent lights and say hello to the fresh air, soak up some vitamin D. You can explore new parts of the neighborhood by jogging to your morning coffee stop, jog to or from the gym, and combine other errands with your jog.

Take a hike:

With Nature waking up, wildflowers blooming, tiny little leaves sprinkling the trees… why would you stay at home? Spring is probably the best season for hiking, but make sure to take your fitness level into account when planning your first trip. Remember that you’ll be carrying more gear than usual for the unpredictable spring conditions. We recommend your first trip out be a shake-down to work out the kinks; one in which you’re a little less committed if something goes wrong.

Cycling:

Spring is a great time to start cycling around town. Cycle by yourself, with friends, or with a club. You’ll be surprised how much can be done just by pedaling in terms of your health. Or if you already cycle, there might be other people in your surroundings who you’d like to persuade to start doing this amazing sport with you.

Sport, Fitness & Exercise equipments Canada. GRT Products 4 A few great exercising tips for Spring

Swimming: 

Swimming is an exercise for people of all ages. It helps you to get or stay in shape, but the benefits also extend to mental health. Swimming builds endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness. It’s great for your arms, legs, and core!